


Synergy

by MyukaAran



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Can be reader if you squint, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Human world/Runterra Merge, Isekai, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, NSFW in later chapters, OC, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:15:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29628267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyukaAran/pseuds/MyukaAran
Summary: Ghost wants nothing more than to play League with her friends, but their newest member is having a hard time top lane. She offers to switch him with Support till he gets the hang of it. But there's one problem: she has no experience top lane. And what's worse, the only available champion for her to play is the Boss himself, Sett. He's big, scary, and probably has no time for her lack of experience. All she wants to do is help her new member get familiar with the game enough to play top lane, and she can go back bot with her girls. She definitely does not want to grow attached to top lane, especially Sett himself.  Refusing to see him in person, not telling him her real name or what she looks like, Ghost hopes to maintain a relative distance from the Vastayan. Too bad Sett has other plans.
Relationships: Sett (League of Legends)/Reader, Sett/Original Character - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	1. Top Lane

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> This is an idea that I've had rolling around in my brain because I wanted something short and saucy but it came out long and tortured. This isn't technically Sett/Reader since Ghost has a personality all her own, but if you squint and embody her mannerisms, you too can be the cute MC.

###  Chapter 1: Top Lane

**Considered by most to be the most isolated lane.**

“You know you don’t have to do this, right?”

“Yeah Ghostie, I’m sure your teammates will understand if you want to back out!”

“*You’re always welcomed back with us, sweetheart*.”

Three different voices, three different friends, all concerned. Serious faced. Well, except for Lulu. She still had a big smile. But that was normal for her. She probably thought this would be one big silly adventure.

Lux, the blond to her right gave her a reassuring smile.

“I know you guys. I will really miss you.” Ghost replied, heart giving a painful lurch. She was essentially abandoning them for another lane. But, it couldn’t be helped. “So don’t worry about me getting attached to top lane or anything.”

Sona gave a silent chuckle, bare shoulders shaking, and played a soft melody on her harp.

“*Of course not*.”

The lobby for Summoner’s Rift was fancy, lavish, and open. Every area was plush with comfortable seating and refreshments, large windows overlooking Runeterra like one might observe a habitat at a zoo. Ghost had seen it many times from this vantage point. But right now, everything felt different. And that was because of the large screen before them.

Five banners stood out in glistening blue, iridescent fabric rustling lightly. Each one held a name and a badge, the numerical level standing out in white for all to see. Hers was in the center, GhostTracks76, level 75, red and bronze border around her Lulu icon. It was one she recently picked up and wanted everyone to know her preference towards bot lane.

However, she wouldn’t be down there anymore.

Lulu of course followed her summoner’s gaze and pouted cutely.

“I feel like you just got my adorable face up there and now you’ll have to take it down.”

Lux also followed the yordle’s line of sight and her shoulders dropped.

“Yeah. I really liked that one too.”

Ghost looked up at the three of them, her friends and closest allies, and felt the tears well in her eyes. It’s not like they would never see each other again, but she would no longer be the wind at their back, the kind voice in their ear giving them directions. The guardian angel watching over their moves, keeping them and their teammates safe.

Now she had to go top lane.

Top was the loneliest lane, and everyone knew that. No one else but you and the enemy with the occasional enemy jungle gank. It was such a difficult position; mostly the bruisers went up there. And she had zero experience with them. Sure she’d hung out with Xin Zhao a few times --he was rather nice if a bit intense-- and Nasus was a dear friend, but she’d always called bot lane her home. As were her three favorite people.

Lux was her first confidant in bot lane. The blonde Damacian was bright, vivacious and eager, everything Ghost was outside of the Rift, and the two got along famously right from the start. They even had a similar laugh.

Sona was her next champion in bot lane and the floating enigma was a beauty to behold. Her effervescent twin tails and serene smile drew ghost to her immediately, and as soon as she tested Sona’s kit she knew she would be a formidable foe. The woman could provide any support imaginable including a team stopping stun that had saved many teammates.

Finally, was probably her most kindred spirit, Lulu. When the Yordle was first introduced to the Rift, both Sona and Lux knew they wanted to have her around. She was tiny, adorable, and powerful. A combination of whimsical spirit and dangerous enigma, the purple pint was more than most could deal with. She and Ghost took to each other like twin sisters.

So why in the world was she switching away from all that?

Sona turned to look at Ghost now, pale heart shaped face saddened to a degree she’d never seen before.

“*Are you sure you’ll be alright up there? I’ve heard he’s quite the brute*.”

Her speech was echoey, boundless, and in her mind. It reverberated in her inner ear, the champion’s keen ability to speak telepathically both comforting and unnerving. Sona was mute and thus had to find another way to communicate. It wasn’t something the woman liked to talk about, and everyone left her alone about it. 

Ghost made a face and crossed her arms.

“I sure hope so. I don’t have much choice right now.” The woman frowned and her eyes crawled back up to the board with her name blazoned. “I just hope this doesn’t last too long.”

How in the world did they expect her to top lane when she’d never top laned before? The amount of pressure was enormous, daunting, and Ghost found herself sweating. But as the second in command on their team, it was her duty to take over for any slack on their newbie’s part. It was just...a difficult lane. One she never thought she would find herself in.

Lux tapped her foot impatiently, eyes on the board as well.

“I hope your teammates are at least patient with you. You just let me know if they cause you any trouble and I’ll come give them laser surgery!”

She flexed her arm, the tiny but unmistakable bulge of muscle just barely visible through the armor on her bicep and Ghost gave an unladylike snort.

“I’ll have Lulu hex them first, then you toast them!”

The yordle gave a cheer, hat jumping off her head like a cartoon character, and the foursome enjoyed a racious giggle. It died rather quickly though, all of them sobering up to the reality. This was probably the last time they would see each other for a while.

Sona floated serenely forward and reached a perfectly manicured hand up to Ghost’s face, gently brushing aside her silver locks.

“*You’ll be alright, I just know it. Take your support skills to the top lane. I’m sure even  _ he _ needs support. And you’ll be the best person to give it*.”

The other two nodded in unison, eyes bright, and Ghost looked between her three friends with shaking hands. She was really going to miss them. This was really happening to her, wasn’t it?

“It’s a lot of responsibility but...I’ll come back. Don’t worry guys, I’m your Summoner first and foremost.” She broke the lull with a watery and cheeky grin. “And no grumpy cat man will change that!”

Spontaneous hug ensued, except it wasn’t quite that spontaneous; they always did this. Love in the lobby, love in the field, love after the battle. The foursome were a perfect team, always together, always supporting each other. And no top laner would come between that.

___________

Ghost had heard of Sett, but only in passing. His addition to the world of Runterra certainly rocked the top lane, and the underground. Word had it that he was the boss of the pit, having taken it over himself with grit and  _ intimidation _ ; but he didn’t steal it. He earned it. Part of his story was really commendable. He didn’t like getting pushed around by those in a position of power higher than him and thus took that power for himself with his own bare hands. It was almost virtuous...except he seemed to run the pit exactly as it was before. On the surface it truly seemed like this was just an effort to benefit himself, and she couldn’t exactly fault him for that. But that also didn’t mean she had to like him for it either. Grudging respect was still respect.

She entered the waiting room, a small square space dropped into darkness with five plush seats and tablets. Each space was designed for the individual lanes, and her teammates were all in there already save for their jungler who was in the restroom. The rest of them were tapping away at the transparent devices, picking their desired roles and champions, adjusting rune pages and summoner’s spells. 

She had no idea what rune page would work best for Sett, so she went with a bruiser preset: domination and precision. She’d checked his page beforehand and saw that he was rather tanky but still packed a lot of power, so it seemed logical to capitalize on his brute strength. All his skills were within melee range, so she would need him to be able to soak up damage to engage. Her previous three allies were all long range, especially Lux, so this would take some getting used to.

Ghost padded quietly into the room and crossed to the other side above where their jungler would be sitting, and waved at her allies along the way.

Takahashi, their newest member, gave her a quick glance and he smiled regretfully.

“Hey, thanks again for switching with me. I think top lane is way too much for me right now. I promise once I get the basics down I’ll give you support again!”

He was new --very new-- and Ghost was very happy to have him there. It just really sucked that she had to give up her favorite role. They were shooting for ranked someday, and getting him up to speed now in a less stressful role was key. But who knew how long that might take. Plus, if he really took a shine to supporting, she may never get her spot back. Even though Ghost took seniority, she didn’t like telling people no, especially not when they really wanted to play. Be is selfless or stupid, that’s how she was, and it only made her slightly bitter.

She smiled past the anxiety and patted his head affectionately.

“I pray for your speedy success!”

He whined at the attention, batting her hand away, but then immediately got to work at his rune pages. The first person he was giving a try was Taric, and he was probably the best one to go with based on Takahashi’s playstyle. The massive chad was personable, friendly, and absolutely  _ dazzling _ . Takahashi would have no trouble getting along with him.

She settled down in the chair, pushing back her braided silver hair off her shoulder and grabbed her tablet. Scrolling through the list of champions, she almost picked Lux out of habit before remembering. Oh, right. Not bot lane. Well damn, it’s not like she even knew who to ban. Who countered Sett? Would he tell her who he had trouble with? Or did she need to figure that out herself? God, there was so much she didn’t understand.

She wanted to look up some sort of guide beforehand, but it was too late now. They’d only recently decided to switch up their lanes afterall, and it’s not like ten minutes with someone’s else’s recounted experience was going to suddenly make her an expert or anything. Plus, he probably wouldn’t like her checking up on him. Maybe. Again, she had no idea what he was like in person so it was pretty much shooting blind right now.

“Let’s see…” She said to herself quietly, lips mumbling over her words. Her rune page was set, and she’d chosen flash and teleport as her summoner spells. Since top lane was so far away it only made sense to take TP; plus, she could hop into other lanes if she needed to. Not that she would though. This lane was going to be hard enough without having to worry about someone else’s space.

They couldn’t start choosing their champion or who they would ban until the game started, so she simply spent her time scrolling through various top laners and their win rates. Sett’s was actually pretty high right now, 51%, which didn’t sound like a lot, but given the right direction, he was still a really solid pick. He had plenty of counterpicks, and she flicked through the list with growing dread.

What in the world was she supposed to do if she went against a Vayne? Or Quinn? He was melee for heaven’s sakes! It was always such a problem having someone going against the meta and absolutely crushing them. Then again, every once in a while she would indulge in Lulu’s whimsy and allow her the fabled  _ AD Carry Lulu _ build and it would work. So, who was she to complain?

Behind her, a door opened, and she instinctually looked behind her to see their jungler emerging from the restroom. Arthur was their senior member right next to her --he only had a few months of extra play on her-- but he was also leading in the most difficult role. They’d been playing together for years now and had a great routine. Both of them fell out of it after a while, even after achieving gold in the second season of ranked, but a special request from their new friend dragged them back. It wasn’t that they hated Summoner’s Rift per say; the pay was good and the fame was enticing, but there was something about maintaining and working with so many different relationships that made everything difficult.

He was friends with almost every jungler and like the junglers themselves, he mostly kept that friendship on the field. He only really hung out with Udyr and Poppy outside of the Rift, and that was to go drinking. Poppy did not drink, but she enjoyed the camaraderie nonetheless.

She on the other hand spent almost as much time with her Rift friends as she did her everyday friends, and that made leaving so much harder. But they knew she needed the break.

Ugh, what a mess, she couldn’t help thinking watching as Arthur came forward between the chairs and flopped into the one next to her. After all this time, she finally gets to see them again, and they barely get on the field before she’s switching lanes on them.

“Sorry about that guys, I’m ready now.” Arthur said, picking up his tablet and taking a quick swig of water.

“No worries man, I think we’re ready whenever you are!”

Their ADC, Deraj, was an old friend from high school who they just recently reconnected with over the fields. One day he noticed them in the lobby and gave a quick wave. Ghost recognized him immediately, and the group fell right into place at the sudden luck of it all. They were in need of a good ADC; while she could do it in a pinch, and was their reigning ADC for a time with her on and off friend Miss Fortune, she much preferred her girls in support, and Deraj was flying solo and in need of a team.

“Mmm hmm.”

Their final teammate, easily the quietest, was Sato. He was their mid laner, and his skills with Ahri and Veigar were unmatched. Just recently he’d met up with Annie, and the two clicked right away. If he was given enough kills through ganks, he was an absolute terror on the fields.

Arthur nodded at the other teammates before turning to her, their final and easily most nervous teammate.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. Just make sure you’re paying attention for potential ganks. I’ll be up there to help you out, alright?”

She nodded stiffly, nerves still shot. It was enough delaying though, and at this point she just wanted to get it over with.

“ _ Team captain, please select begin once you are ready. Make sure all arms and legs are inside the blue square before you begin. Riot is not responsible for any injury sustained. _ ”

The loudspeaker was quite punctual, almost like it could tell they were ready, and Ghost instinctually curled her limbs into the cushiony chair. She was nowhere near in danger, but those walls came up  _ fast _ .

Arthur selected the option on his glowing tablet, and the lights dimmed.

Summoner’s Rift was very high tech, both in combat strategy and technology. Each summoner was granted a special link to their selected champion through bluetooth headset. It was an ordinary looking device, but once placed in the ear, would fuse to it like a new limb, and glowed the designated color to their lane: pink for support, red for ADC, purple for mid lane, green for jungle, and blue for top lane. Each team would reside in a special room, almost like a private room at a karaoke bar, and would separate further with soundproof walls that came up around each lane chair. This was to provide a distraction free environment while keeping them all together.

The walls themselves would light up with screens, displaying all the necessary information. To her left was the map’s stats --this included both teams KDA, and all times for the major mob kills. Dragon, red buff, blue buff, Rift Herald, all of them. To her right was the map. It would display any vision they had and show everything that was happening in lanes. She had a mini one on the main screen for ease of access, but this made it easier to see up close.

The front and main screen obviously held the birdseye view of their environment. Here she could see everything her indicator moved to --unless they didn’t have vision of course-- and she could zoom in and out at will. Along the bottom were the champion’s stats: not unlike a video game, but less barbaric since they were dealing with actual people here.

Normally in a game, a character would ‘die’ and then be ‘resurrected’ after a penalty time, but Summoner’s Rift was different. Instead of dieing, they would simply get removed from the playing field and held at the spawn point for a certain amount of time. Their life points, defense, attack power, all of that was scaled to a realistic degree while also maintaining the virtual aspect, and once their life points decreased to zero, they would be ejected.

They still made exaggerated death sounds. And hearing Lulu’s yelp of surprise was always sad to hear.

I wonder what Sett sounds like, she couldn’t help thinking to herself. Then she grimaced.

Well, she was probably going to hear it a lot.

Suddenly, the walls around her blazed to life, a circle with a timer appearing on her main screen. They’d been matched to an enemy team.

She clicked accept and inserted her bluetooth. The blue glow was soft, but still bright enough that she could see the reflection off the right screen.

The map appeared and indicated each of their chosen lanes, and when it got to her, it made a triumphant ping and slamming banner.  _ You were chosen for TOP LANE _ .

She grimaced again.

Perhaps she was being overdramatic, but she still didn’t want to let her team down.

Now it was time to select her champion, her partner, and she found herself hesitating. The keyboard space was there waiting for her to type in a search (they had so many champions to select from that they needed a control F key to find them all) and she stared at it forlornly before quickly typing the four letter word.

_ Sett. _

His face appeared and she couldn’t help staring, caught off guard. Sure she’d seen him before, but she never sought him out or anything, and goddamn he was  _ gorgeous _ . Short, tousled red hair covered his forehead and down his cheeks with two red ears poking determinedly skyward. A grizzled but chad jawline complete with faintly red stubble and several white scars covering his rather tanned face. Piercing yellow irises hooded under I-don’t-give-a-shit eyelids. Neutral frowning mouth with just a hint of mischief. She could barely see the rest of his portrait save for an obviously naked chest surrounded by sleek purple mane, but it was all enough to make her visibly swallow.

Oh, shit--she needed to lock in.

She was the last person to hit submit, lining herself up with her teammates. Sato had chosen Ahri, Takahashi Taric, Deraj Varus, and Arthur was empty. Probably going to counter pick. He liked to do that.

The second screen popped up and now it was time for her to select her person to ban. Ghost scrambled: who the hell was she supposed to pick? In all the haze and nerves of the pregame, she’d forgotten to check who he got countered by! Banning itself was rather nebulous --you could ban based on stats like win rates, or you could ban based on personal preference. She usually banned based on who she hated having to lane against. And she had no idea who she would hate top lane.

“Well, I see Darius get banned all the time top, so I guess I’ll just go with that.” She mumbled to herself, dutifully typing the Noxian’s name and selecting him. “I just hope Sett agrees with me.”

Her heart did a painful lurch at the thought of the Ionian, and that was in no small part because of her fear; and also  _ attraction _ . He was very pretty. Probably an asshole by the looks of his portrait. But still  _ pretty _ .

She’d have to be blind not to notice.

Once all the bans were selected, the screen molded quickly, solidifying each ban on both their team and the enemy team. Ghost hardly paid attention to what the enemy banned, because all her focus was on her slowly warming cheeks and neck. She felt hot, but in the awkward, nervous kind of way. The second her pick was locked in, she would get a direct line to her champion. And she’d have to introduce herself.

How in the hell was she supposed to do that?

A high ping: she was locking in first. Goddammit, that was just her luck wasn’t it? Now they could counter pick her! She huffed out an anxious breath, hoping to release some of the tension trapped in her lungs and it felt like suffocation instead. And then she selected lockin.

_____________________

  
  


Normally when they were connected via bluetooth, there was no need for instructions. This kept the redundancy down while also helping those who were connecting with a new champ for the first time. So when she heard the distinct Riot voice of  _ Now connecting with: Sett _ , Ghost knew this was it. Like a punch in the gut, she was about to be connected to the scariest thing in her Summoner’s Rift career.

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

Oh God, there he was.

“Y-Yes, I can hear you!” She practically scrambled, hands jumping up to cup around her ear as if she couldn’t hear him.

“Huh, a chick this time? Didn’t expect that.”

Wow, his voice was...not as deep as she thought it would be. Crisp, clear, almost velvety aside from the slight gravel at the end of his inquisition, and it was...actually rather nice.

“Y-Yes, uhmm, I hope that’s alright?” She replied, sweating further.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

His tone hadn’t changed, but she could tell his inquiry was merely reactionary, and nothing more. Huh --maybe this meant he really didn’t care what gender his summoner was?

“N-Nevermind, it’s nothing.” She scrambled, lips fumbling. “M-My name is Ghost. It’s nice to meet you?”

It was left like a question, the tension so apparent you could cut it with a knife, and she could practically feel him shaking his head.

“Ghost? Is that your real name?”

“O-Oh, no it’s not.”

“Going by your Summoner name then?”

“Yes --i-is that alright?”

“Tch, that’s your choice. I don’t really care either way.”

Well, he certainly was aggressive, if not agreeable. He was probably already irritated by her nerves. Which only made things worse.

Sett didn’t ask further, and she made no move to elaborate, though the words jumped to her lips. She didn’t like hiding anything from anybody, even a random stranger like Sett, but she was supposed to be his guide and she wouldn’t even tell him her real name. It’s not like she wanted to hide it per say, but this was a temporary arrangement. She didn’t even plan on seeing him in person after their games. This way, there was no way they would get attached.

She nearly barked a laugh at the thought.

“So tell me, Ghost,” The way her nickname rolled off his tongue made her shiver. “What experience do you have in my lane?”

Oh God, right out the gate isn’t it? This is where she’d have to put herself on the chopping block and get destroyed. Should she lie and say she knew? Or tell the truth and be ridiculed? The obvious detractor for lying was that he would be able to tell  _ immediately _ since her skill would be abysmal. But on the other hand, if she was honest, he may not trust her enough to want to cooperate. There were stories about summoner’s and champs who hated each other and would make games miserable when together, but by the game’s rules a champion could not disobey a direct order. So even if he had no confidence in her abilities, if she commanded him to march straight into tower and die, he would have no choice.

“Lacking. I’ve only been up there a few times with Nasus. Don’t expect too much out of me just yet.”

The silver haired woman rubbed her face with both palms. She could hear the defected sigh.

“ _ Really _ ? Your first game with me and you’re  _ already _ telling me you can’t do it?” He scoffed, his voice dripping an octave. “Do you intend on feeding then? Or should I just set up camp by my tower?”

What the --was this a threat? It almost sounded like he was intending on defecting. Then again, it’s not like she gave him much confidence. And it’s not like he could tell if she was just being self detrimental for humor’s sake.

Still, it was enough to incense her, the previous tension molding hotly into indignation.

“No, of course not. I fully intend on trying my best here. But I don’t normally top lane at all, and you’re  _ Sett _ . People expect a lot out of you.” And of me, she wanted to add but didn’t dare.

“Keh, that’s a defeatist attitude if I’ve ever heard one.”

“Wha--” She tensed, pursing her lips together, but no more sound came out. It was as if a thick hot shame welded her vocals closed, and nothing more could be said. He’d pegged her right away without even trying. She didn’t need to bring him down just because  _ she _ was down.

A quick light alerted her to the scoreboard, and she was suddenly reminded of the rest of her team taking action. They were down to their last picks, Arthur choosing Nunu as his jungler, and her eyes immediately jumped upwards to her counterpick.

Yone. Oh good lord.

“S-Sett?” She paused, swallowing past a dry tongue. “Do you do well against Yone?”

“What, you don’t know already? Didn’t even bother reading up on me?”

“Well, I don’t know! No, I didn’t!”

She heard him huff an exasperated sigh followed by a mumbled string of what she could only assume were curses.

“Do you at least know what my skills are? Cos they are aplenty.”

“Yes--” She looked down at the tablet in her hands, finding the skillset icons right away and tapping quickly over each one. “--I’ve looked at them. It will take me some time to get used to them though. I’m not really a melee specialist.”

“Fair enough. I’ll tell you right now that Yone is absolutely dog shit easy for me to fight. You just have to make sure you’ve got him in range and I will rip through his defense. Unless he’s good. Then it might be a problem.”

Huh, she looked up at the board, down back at her tablet, and chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. He didn’t exactly give her specific directions, but that was supposed to be up to her anyway. She would just have to go in and test it all out. But if what he said was true, then she may not do as horribly as she was thinking.

“Okay...I can work with that. Our jungler has also told me that he’ll make it a point to come top lane for ganks early on. To help me out.”

“Oh yeah? Who’s he playing?”

“Nunu.”

“Damn, nice. Nunu will make this shit even easier.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Their conversation lulled out and Ghost found herself relaxing; just a bit though. There was something about their interaction that was forced, but easy in a way. Maybe once she understood laning phase a little better, she would be alright.

Arthur locked in Nunu, and now everyone was ready to go. It quickly switched modes to information stream, specifying on her selected champ so that she could make one last once over for any errors. Sett’s large portrait lay emblazoned on her front screen along with the rune page options plus summoner’s skills, and she felt her breath suck into her throat. This wasn’t just a bust shot either --this was the whole package.

He was seated on a throne of sorts, head tilted away from the camera, giving that pretty playboy look a run for its money. He had one hand out and was being fitted with golden brass knuckles by a woman to his right. She was right before --he was entirely bare chested save for that unruly and wild purple mane tucked around his shoulders, with gold accents lining every piece of jewelry and fabric he wore.

She swallowed. Hard.

“Hey Ghost, you still there? We’re about to start.”

Sett’s voice crackled into her ear and it was enough to startle her into squeaking out loud. Dammit! Hopefully he wouldn’t know she’d been staring!

“Y-Yes, I’m here! Sorry, I was reading up on something.” She replied, voice wavering slightly from the adrenaline rush.

“Hmm. Alright. Look alive.”

In his own area of the Summoner’s Rift, she knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. Just like the Summoners, the champions had their own room to get ready in with their own tablets to muse over. They could look up their summoner’s stats if they wanted, and Ghost wished vehemently that he did not do so. There was no way he would be happy dealing with a support main.

As everyone would get ready, the summoners would stay in their cushy chairs and walls, looking round at the screens like tacticians all the while the champions would crash land into Runterra, ready to battle for everyone’s entertainment. It was kind of messed up when you thought about it, but Riot considered every champion a pro wrestler of sorts. They seemed to be paid well, and the action wasn’t usually that dangerous as long as everyone was following the rules, so it was usually a sweet gig. Usually.

Now wasn’t the time to worry about the ethics of what amounted to cock fighting, but with people, so Ghost squared her shoulders and sobered up.

The countdown dropped. 3. 2. 1.

Time to go.


	2. First Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go very well their first game but, well, that's to be expected right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything written in bold is the summoners speaking directly to each other. Kwll=Arthur

### Chapter 2: First Blood

**First kill of the game. Worth more gold; decides the atmosphere of the game.**

From her high vantage point, Ghost watched everyone drop in one by one, landing like a meteor strike onto the circular flat surface of the spawn point. Almost as if programmed, they each flexed, a starting pose meant for gassing each other up than any special move, and they all did so with gusto. Nunu, Ahri, Varus, Taric and Sett all gathered in that circle like a group of old friends before they turned immediately to the shopkeeper.

Starting items were usually no problem to understand, so she opened her shop menu and looked through the very short list of beginning items.

“Well, take a temp ward for sure. We can probably pick up a pink one later when we have more gold.”

She watched as Sett pointed at the item in question and the gold was subtracted from her total.

“And then...damn, shield or blade…” She had to think, the words mumbled to herself. Yone was a regular damage dealer, not exactly tanky so she didn’t have to worry about needing to shred health early on, but would a shield be necessary? Wouldn’t it be better to kill early on?

“I have to go with whatever you tell me, so hurry up.” Sett’s voice interrupts her train of thought, and he kicks a foot out impatiently.

“Right, right,” Ghost licks her lips. “Go with blade. We’ll see if that will do better damage wise.”

“Yeah alright.” He picks up the item without another word. She instructs him to grab a healthpot as well, and they are out of money.

First stop is at blue buff, to help out Arthur and Nunu with some early damage, and then up to top lane. Luckily they got to start on blue side; Ghost had a much easier time looking at the map from this direction.

Zoomed out as she was, she couldn’t see most of his features, but she could tell by the way he was running down the base towards jungle that he was already irritated. It’s not like she blamed him either. She wasn’t exactly being a great summoner. Starting off the game by basically willing them to lose was a shitty way to greet anyone, even someone as brutish as Sett.

He made it there, stopping where she indicated practically on a dime, and stood tall, with shoulders rolled back.

She’d intentionally made him go into one of the many bushes around blue buff so he would be well hidden. This was to prevent early counter jungling. Deep in the brush as he was, he couldn’t see anything more than she could, and without vision, the entire jungle might as well have been cloaked in darkness. It wasn’t exactly a large area per say, but the way Riot had engineered the stadium, they could darken and lighten areas as needed for effect. This was also how they coordinated teamfights: if you had no vision in jungle, don’t engage.

“So your team, how experienced are they?” Sett asked, looking in the direction Nunu was rolling in.

“U-Uh well, Arthur has the most experience out of all of us and he jungles. Deraj is probably right around the corner, and he’s very reliable damage. Both Sato and Takahashi are new but Sato is already very good at mid lane. He took to it rather quickly. Takahashi on the other hand is still rough, and wanted to take support right now while he figured out how to operate the game.”

“Uh huh, so where does that leave you?”

He wasn’t exactly subtle. He must not have actually looked her up then.

“I actually have the second most experience on our team. Only a few months after Arthur started, I did.”

She wanted to snap at him because apparently _he didn’t look her up either_ , but did not feel like starting that particular fire just yet.

“Wait, you have the second most experience? How long have you guys been playing?” Now he sounds genuinely curious. And annoyed. Was she holding back on him?

“We both played for a few years, then dropped it for a few years, and now we’re back in the game. At one point I was gold 5 in ranked.”

Sett couldn’t hold back the bark of laughter. It was almost sinister, like he couldn’t believe the audacity.

“So wait a minute, you’re telling me that we’re going to get fucked top lane because you have no experience, but you were Gold 5?? Why do I feel like you’re bullshitting me right now?”

“I--I’m not _lying_ I’ll have you know! I really don’t have experience--”

**Kwll: Hey Ghost, get over here. You gotta do some damage.**

The other voice crackled in her ear and she squealed this time. This was a direct ping from a teammate: they usually tried to stay out of each other’s communications outside of world map pings so they wouldn’t interrupt their communication between them and their champions, but if needed, they could speak to each other directly. And apparently she’d been squabbling with Sett so long she’d forgotten to move him into place.

**Ghost: Right, we’re coming.**

“Sett, we have to help with blue buff.”

Damn, had they really been arguing that long? The Ionian rolled his eyes and she could practically feel him doing it from here, and waited in the brush as blue buff climbed out of the ground. It was almost like a mole, or a rock with animal features, and it’s inner core burned brightly with its blue blessing. Nunu needed this early game to regenerate his mana so that he may use his spells more frequently. He could just use smite, but that was better saved for raptors, and then an early game gank. Which was probably where he was headed right after his first rotation.

Nunu got right to work calling the aggro on himself, giving it a few punches before taking a nice chomp at its health. As instructed, Sett came in with two quick punches, the first one slower than the next, and the satisfying hit clacked loudly in her bluetooth. Early on he had slow attack speed, but right away she could tell he probably benefited greatly from something nice like trinity force. He gave the blessing a few more good smacks before she called him away from it.

“Alright, now let’s head up to top lane. But let’s do it through river so they won’t see us coming.”

“Heh, alright, not a bad idea.”

The half-Vastayan did as instructed, making his way quickly through the ankle deep water, all the while slamming his fist into his palm. She heard the palm strike a few times and could practically feel his restless energy: he was ready to _fight_.

It was kind of barbaric.

Everyone in Summoner’s Rift was excited about their challenges, but she was so used to Lux’s boundless enthusiasm, Lulu’s whimsical frenzy and Sona’s refined elegy that hearing such a basic skin to skin energy was a little off putting.

 _Almost_.

It was also kind of hot.

“Look alive, here we come.”

Ghost snaps up at the command and she sees Sett emerge from the underbrush into lane where the minions have already started battling it out.

These short, mage and warrior clad minions were the main source of revenue in the game aside from enemy kills. They were all holograms, simple algorithms that dispensed gold upon a last hit, and therefore had no actual autonomy outside of their programming. Almost like pawns in chess, they were just there to collect cash, and she instructed Sett to start taking a few swings.

She could see everyone’s health bar above their heads, including the minions, and she had enough practice with last hitting that this shouldn’t be an issue. It’s not like she was _never_ in an attack role, and even as her trusted support friends, she knew how to collect that scratch.

“So Sett,” She begins, listening to the sounds of his fist connecting with hologram. “Your punches; you time them differently right?”

“Tch, yeah. You said you read up on my skillset.”

“I did, I’m just making sure!”

She looks down quickly at her tablet, tapping on his Q: Knuckle Down. But that wasn’t it. She quickly read the description, but that wasn’t what aided his attack pattern. This one was what enabled him to move fast when chasing an enemy. She shifted quickly to his passive instead, finding the information she was looking for.

“So left first, followed quickly by right. I see. Oh--” Her eyes flicked quickly through the instructions. “--you also gain additional damage and heal yourself? Damn, that’s a nice passive.”

“It sure _is_ ,” He replied, a chuckle in his words, slamming the minion with a last hit. “Here comes Yone by the way.”

She looked up quickly, clattering the tablet back onto the desk as she moved her hands back to the mouse. 

Their enemy was in sight now, a tall, white form carrying two katanas. If she recalled correctly, the tortured samurai was Yasuo’s brother, and he certainly looked it. She’d yet to have fought the man before, and all that nervous energy that escaped her veins came flooding back tenfold.

“Remember, he’s only level one. The mans can’t do shit to me right now.” Sett said tersely. He stopped attacking the minions on her command as the samurai approached his own selection of low life minions. “Don’t be afraid of him. I’m sure as hell not.”

“R-Right,” Gods, what did Sett sound like in the throes of death? Would she have to hear that soon? He sounded perfectly at ease, but that didn’t mean she could ally him well enough. Still, she had to try, and it’s not like this was completely out of her depth. She knew how to play this damn game after all!

The first skill she’d taken was his Q: it only made sense to add that extra damage to his kit. His other skills would be quite useful, but she wasn’t sure which one to take. One of them was an excellent shield that could also be used to attack at range while the other would yank two enemies together and bash their heads in. If she managed to pull in one from each side, they would be stunned for a few seconds afterwards. A top tier attack indeed.

Yone moved swiftly between his minions, clipping at them, hacking off slivers of their life before last hitting. Both he and Sett danced around each other, mostly focusing on last hit farming for now, and Ghost was getting more nervous by the second. Was he expecting her to go in? Was he able to take him on even at level one? Surely, his attack speed wasn’t high enough, and Yone had his own shield that was steadily rising, so that would be tough to just auto attack through, and--

“Level 2 now. It’s a good thing we made it to lane before him.”

Ah! The tablet pinged, and she quickly pressed down on his W: the shield. Right away, every sliver of health that was taken from Sett started accumulating in his second gauge: Grit. This was his passive, and once it reached a certain amount, he would turn around and redirect all the attack he’d taken into a blistering punch. It was like a shockwave, and would also provide a massive shield.

This was a safety precaution; if Yone wanted to engage early, she could have Sett use his shield, and he would make it out of the scuffle. Probably.

“R-Right,”

The next few moments were silent save for the normal attack sounds, the death animations of the minions, and the satisfying clinking of coins as he managed last hits. Yone had yet to interject, focusing purely on his farming, and that gave Ghost an idea.

“Hey Sett? How quick are you? On your feet I mean,”

“Huh? Well, I’m pretty fast, but I don’t like running too much in these pants. Too expensive to rip.”

Wait, what? Was he really worried about his _wardrobe_ right now?

“Why in the world would you wear them if you were worried about destroying them!” She can’t help but sputter out.

“Keh, gotta look good on the field right? It’s not a show unless you have something _nice to look at_ .” He replied simply, an airy humor coloring his tone like one might explain something salacious to an innocent. She sputtered again, cheeks immediately flaming, because no she was _not_ an innocent and thus knew exactly what he was talking about.

“That’s gross,”

“Maybe to you it is. I on the other hand,” He cracked his knuckles dramatically before giving a good slamming last hit to a mage minion. “Prefer the _spectacle_.”

Gods, he really was some kind of play boy wasn’t he? When she’d read up on him pregame, she could sympathize with his plight. Being poor and ostracized was terrible for a young boy and both he and his mother suffered greatly because of his father’s mistakes. And when he’d taken over the pit in which his father used to roam carefree, she felt herself rooting for him. But, it seemed like he’d let that fame go to his head, and now he was just like those he’d deemed too trash to work under.

It was disappointing to say the least.

Ghost chose not to respond, instead pressing her lips tightly together and holding back any of her judgements. Now was not the time to call out his transgressions, and she would be loathed to caustically attack his motivations; she hardly knew the man at all. Plus, it’s not like she would be his Summoner for very long. Getting to know him was unnecessary. All she needed to do was be successful enough so that they could win, allowing Takahashi the time he needed to hone his skills. Then, he would take top and she could go back to her rightful place as Deraj’s support.

No need to get attached.

The whole reason why she’d asked him about his speed was lost, the two of them entering a dangerous zone of difference in opinion, and when the flash of light indicated his next level up, she wordlessly took his third skill: Facebreaker. This one would take some time getting used to, as there was an area around him where he would attack from. If she could get the spacing right, she could enable a successful stun, get that free damage, and possibly secure a kill if she was lucky.

“So, are you ever going to have me engage? I’m all for collecting cash, but farming isn’t exactly exciting early game.”

Ugh, it was already happening. She could tell he was trying his best to be diplomatic, but the impatience was bleeding into his words. And while originally she was afraid of him, that fear was slowly turning into frustration. Even from their little bits of conversation, she could tell they wouldn’t get along, and she didn’t want to throw the game just for that. It’s not like she hadn’t worked with Champs she didn’t get along with in the past, it’s just that this time she was basically locked in with him. And it sucked.

So the jab came out more waspish than she intended. “You willing to risk your pants like that?”

He was far enough away from the next minion that he could stop attacking without defecting from her orders, and tilted his head in her direction. Like he knew exactly where she was looking.

“No no missy, you’re going to have to take whatever beef you have with me and grill it on your own time. I’m not here to fuck around.”

His response was practically a growl, and she immediately stiffened in her seat like he’d said it right to her face. Lips froze, heart hammered in her chest, and breath caught in her throat. She could see his stationary form and even from this distance she could see the icy look he was giving her.

“Y-Yes, you’re right, I’m sorry,”

And it’s like the frustration has transformed, once again the chilling ice creeping up her neck tenfold. Sett was not someone she wanted to get on the bad side of; the dude was a legendary ass kicker. And her scrawny ass did not want to meet him in a dark alley after insulting him.

“Forget it. Just give me my command.”

It was terse, tense; their ease of conversation now lost. For what little they had, it was now buried under a pretense, her judgements mocking and contrite. He was not going to sit by and take shit from a Summoner who wouldn’t even tell him her real name.

“Okay. I’m going to have you…”

They danced around Yone for a moment, him bobbing and weaving around the swordsman as she prepared for the perfect chance to practice Facebreaker. Once an enemy minion made it behind Sett, she went all in.

The Vastayan reached both arms out swiftly, grabbing both the minion and Yone alike and yanking them together like two tykes in need of some capital punishment. They knocked together, heads bashing hard enough to shockwave a deafening blow into her headset, and Yone collapsed in a dizzying pile. Sett followed this up with Knuckle Down, giving him two successive punches on the enemy, two sickening crunches in her ear. His fists were alight with Vastayan magic --or was it symbolic of his rage?-- and when they collided with the downed champion, Ghost couldn’t help comparing it to the softness of her previous allies.

He was so aggressive, so hostile. Everything about his kit was in your face and calculated, but also brutish enough to not require a game plan. He was just here to punch people in the damn face.

“Hah, nice one!” He crowed, following her swift instruction to fall back as Yone got back to his feet, a good chunk of his health missing. “Get me a few more of those and we’ll have first blood!”

 _First Blood_.

They both inhaled sharply at the loudspeaker call, the woman’s sultry, dark tone indicating that in fact, someone else had already beaten Sett to the punch. Ghost looked immediately at the KDA to her left and saw that it was in fact, Arthur that had gotten it. It seemed he’d engaged with midlane instead of top first, and they’d taken down the enemy Ziggs. Just barely though by Sato’s health.

“Aww, dammit.” He sounded genuinely upset, running a hand through his hair.

Ghost wasn’t sure what to say to that; the timing was rather hilarious all things considered, but she still felt bad for him. Probably the residual guilt for giving him shit.

“At least it wasn’t us giving it away, right?” She replied shakily. Better to say something than nothing.

“Keh, if you delivered first blood at level three, I’d seriously have to doubt your skills.” He replied tersely, the response quick like his punches. She took them all straight to the face, crestfallen, and chagrined.

So he _was_ still mad.

“Right, sorry.” She mumbled. 

He said nothing, but he said it loudly, and Ghost could tell that this was going to be a very _very_ long game.

\------------------

It all happened so damn fast.

They were doing just fine, pushing the lane with a straight tenacity, their commands and responses kept to a minimum to relieve the grueling tension between them, when suddenly the enemy jungler came barreling in.

Evelynn was swift and silent, quick and precise, and the moment that heart gauge filled over his head, Ghost knew they were about to get clapped.

“Sett, look out--!”

Eve’s luscious laughter filled her ears, and she could do nothing but watch helplessly as the burly Vastayan was charmed. He moved slowly towards her as Yone turned around and dropped auto attack after auto. Ghost scrambled --there was two of them now-- and fumbled her fingers over the tablet; and pressed Q instead of W. Instead of using his shield and possibly surviving, Sett flailed a quick jab at Eve before his hit points dropped to zero.

Her screen went grey.

 _You have been slain_.

Fuck!! Ghost dropped her mouse, hands immediately jumping to her ears. She did _not_ want to hear his death sound, she did _not_ want to hear it--

The sound effects from Eve’s attack combined with Yone’s singing swords overpowered any death throes, mercifully sparring her poor psyche the punishment, but that didn’t stop the image of his muscled body lying uselessly on the ground.

She _knew_ he wasn’t actually dead but--

“Sett, Sett are you okay? I’m sorry, I’m _sorry--_!”

“GAH! Goddammit!” His angry cry interrupted her pathetic apology. “Of course I’m not okay! Weren’t you paying attention to the map? You know I can’t see that shit!”

“I know, I know! I-I’m sorry!” Tablet is back in her hands and she’s looking through his inventory. “I forgot to have you put that ward down!”

“You’re damn right you did!” He snarled back. “Just because I don’t die doesn’t mean that shit doesn’t _hurt_!”

“I--I--” She sputtered again, tears welling rapidly in her eyes. Noise trapped itself purposefully in her throat, and she keened sadly at the screen in her hands and in front of her.

Death was not a reality in this game, but it was still realistic as hell. Eve’s spikes still stabbed at him. Yone’s swords still seared at his flesh. It all _felt_ like it was happening, even if he wasn’t being maimed brutally.

She could say nothing, clenching the outburst as tightly as she could in her throat to the point of pain. If she said anything, those tears would fall over in rivers, choking her already frayed vocals and ruining any chance she had of mending their terrible first impression of each other.

“Whatever. It’s just ten seconds. You brought teleport at least, right?” He clipped out, teeth bared.

First she nodded, still unable to use her voice, but then realized quickly that he wasn’t going to be able to see that shit, and hummed the affirmative instead.

The timer ticked down slowly on her screen, and each second felt like agony. She couldn’t tell what was worse now, his silence or his anger, and the woman felt a creeping sense of dread overtake her.

**Kwll: You guys okay up there? Need me to come up?**

**Ghost: No no, I was just tunneling. I’ll put a pink ward down next time.**

**Kwll: Alright, if you’re sure.**

Arthur was busy running around bot jungle, farming crugs and approaching bot lane for a gank and she didn’t want him worrying about her up top. At least for now. It was just one death right? She didn’t need to be babysat yet.

They could still purchase items in the shop even while he was in the Penalty Box, and she looked at their meager gold pile. She had him purchase the pink ward along with Hearthbound axe. It would help his speed and his damage, but she couldn’t increase his movement just yet. That pink ward took precedent. A lot of times when an enemy jungler successfully ganked a lane, they would camp it in case their prey did something stupid. And Eve could go invisible. Pink ward was crucial at this point.

Suddenly the screen flashed back into color, and Sett landed swiftly back onto the spawn point with the same gusto he’d arrived; though this time he didn’t say anything upon landing.

Without being told to, Ghost tapped her tablet on Teleport and selected the tower. The red head looked upwards as the blue beam of light wrapped around him, charging like a laser, and sucked him into the sky. A half second later he slammed into the ground beside his tower, nearly cratering the earth beneath him.

Yone was still up there, but Eve had already left. That didn’t mean she wasn’t just hiding in the jungle, so Ghost needed to be careful when she would put down that pink ward.

Sett still said nothing, but approached the minions dutifully like she’d commanded, and Ghost didn’t have the heart to press him on it either. Neither one of them was in the mood to talk anymore, and that was just fine with her for now.

What a way to start her top lane career.

\-------------

The tension was building slowly, every time she went to engage, brought swiftly back by fear of his reprimand, and Ghost could tell Sett was about to reach his breaking point. It wasn’t his fault she was being such a shithead to him, just like it wasn’t his fault that she had to go top. She summoned _him_ and all he could do was follow commands. His entire fate rested with her. And here she was blowing it.

What would Lux say? What would Lulu say? She’d messed up plenty of times with them, but it didn’t feel _nearly_ as bad and that could have been because they’d become friends almost immediately. It was easy, effortless, and they would be supportive no matter what happened. Hell, every time she missed a huge stun ult with Sona, the woman would merely laugh noiselessly and tell her that ‘mistakes are just happy accidents’.

So how in the hell was she supposed to mess up around _Sett_?

Level six. Ult time. The time she was dreading the most.

Thankfully Yone was rather bad, or at least his summoner was, and she and Sett were still able to farm without much issue. She made him stay back however, even with the pink ward in place, and not push any farther than mid lane. But now that he had his ult active, the Vastayan was sure to want her to press forward.

“Please tell me you know what my ult does?”

It’s the first time he’s said anything to her in ages, and the edge is taken off his voice. Now he just sounds exhausted. Her gut tightens further.

“Yes, I do.” She hovers over the area of effect on her tablet. “Just judging the distance. I don’t want you to slam him too close to his tower; you don’t need to take any tower shots for that.”

“You’re damn right I don’t.”

“So then, what I was thinking was...”

She has a plan, and it’s pretty simple. With all the knowledge of Sett’s kit, she knows she can secure a kill easily, but whether or not she can have him execute it properly is another thing. While she was pretty confident in her comboing abilities with her long range friends, she had no idea the distance in which Sett could connect or how well he could handle damage against a shield. This would be an experiment.

And he was counting on her.

So when Yone walked forward, past the mid point to snag a last hit behind Sett, she took command.

“ _Now!_ ”

She pressed R. And Sett responded immediately.

Right hand snaked out, clapping over Yone’s face in its wide grip as Sett charged forward, leaping into the air whilst carrying the Samurai like he weighed nothing. They arched a few meters, before Sett slammed him into the ground, crunching the area in a huge crater and taking a huge chunk of his health. Before Yone could get up and leave however, Sett yanked his happy ass backwards with Facebreaker --though he didn’t get the stun off, it still slowed Yone-- and took two successive punches with Knuckle Down.

“Shit, he still has--”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this!”

Haymaker was up and Sett had accumulated a small amount of grit. Yone had barely a sliver of life left and he was trying his best to move away from the brawler. But Ghost knew what to do now. So she gave that W a good tap.

Sett charged his fist, rallying up that bright Vastayan magic and--

_You have slain an enemy._

Flash of light and Yone’s body lay sprawled on the ground, thoroughly defeated. It was the most beautiful thing she’d seen all game.

“Hell yeah!” Sett crowed, punching a minion in excitement. “That’s how it’s done!”

Ghost couldn’t tell if he was cheering for himself, or for her directions, but she felt the warmth either way. It was better to not indulge in that revelry however, and so she merely let out a noise of approval.

“Now, get me like, three more of those and I’ll roll face all the rest of this damn game!”

“O-Oh! Right,” She replied with a squeak. Though she’d wanted to stay silent, her own form of punishment for her transgressions, his exuberance was infectious, and the words pushed passed her lips unbidden.

Sett said nothing to her lackluster response, probably deciding it wasn’t worth prodding her declining mood, and for that she was grateful. Maybe in like ten minutes when she was more successful at helping him secure kills, she’d be more open to conversation. As it stood right now, his lifeless body still remained imprinted on her retinas as did his scathing response to her jabs.

This was her Penalty Box now.

\--------------

_Defeat_.

Ah, damn. It was a good effort.

She’d done her best, but poor bot lane ended up feeding the enemy Samira hardcore. The desert woman could run through their team, ripping through their defenses like an atom bomb, and no matter how much tankiness she had Sett build, he just couldn’t stand up to her health shred. It was a valiant effort, but in the end they ended up losing.

Ghost sighed and leaned back in the chair, the screen before her flashing up with the ending score. She didn’t want to look at her abysmal stats, the unimpressive KDA, or her average minion farm. None of this was something she was used to, so it was only natural that she wouldn't do that well, but it still felt like shit. Especially since she missed so many objectives.

She’d had to use teleport several times to help other lanes, and thus missed a lot of farm. It took forever to buy trinity force, and by the time she was able to afford it, Samira was an absolute powerhouse, so it didn’t even matter. Ghost tried having Sett build thornmail to help rally against it, but that too was expensive, and he could only afford the chest plate for most of the game.

5/10/12. What a terrible KDA.

They’d talked the rest of the game, but it was mostly just commands and responses. No more chatter. No more reprimanding. Just cold, exchanges of information. To be fair, she didn’t do that poorly for her first time, but everything else about their early game settled like the broken rubble of a fallen building around her ears. She didn’t even know him, and the woman was judging him, calling him out for useless shit, and sending him to his death several times. In particular, the last death when she’d ulted directly into the tower and gotten stunned to death, she could almost hear him pacing the Penalty Box, slamming his fists into the walls.

There was no way he’d want to match with her again.

“Sett?”

Her voice was soft, timid. She didn’t expect a response, but she wanted to say something to him before they were disconnected. He deserved that much.

“I...I’m really sorry. I came at this all wrong. It’s not your fault I don’t have any experience with top lane. And I should have been more encouraging at the start. You didn’t deserve a summoner who had no confidence in their abilities.”

She leans forward, elbows on her knees, right hand cupping the glowing bluetooth around her ear as if to strengthen her ability to hear his silence--

“You’re damn right you’re sorry.” His voice clipped in her ear. “Don’t do that shit again.”

She recoils, sending her body straight back into the plush of the chair, with wide eyes. He was still there?

“Y-Yeah? Um--”

“Next time, come at me like you mean it. Say that shit with your chest. You don’t get to talk shit without backing it up. Okay, _Ghost_?”

He’s not yelling, but he’s firm, acidic. It makes her sit up straight in her chair, like one might acquiesce to a commanding officer.

“Y-Yessir!” The word jumps from her mouth.

He practically barks a laugh in her ear, the sound so foreign she feels like she imagined it. It’s harsh and swift, almost like a slap, but the joviality is clear as is the surprise. Why in the world would he be _laughing_ right now? Wasn’t he still angry at her?

“Keh, don’t say it like that. You kinky shit,”

And just like that, the vitriol is gone from his tone. Like earlier he sounds fluid, silly, and just a hint of degenerate. Like he was _flirting_ or something.

Her whole face heats up all the way to her ears.

“I-I’m not being kinky!! You damn weirdo!”

He laughs again, this time a deep belly chuckle, and that heat from her face travels all the way down to her toes. It sounded so genuine, so clear and...and... _cute_ ! She’d never heard him sound like _that_ before!

“You can go ahead and think that way if you want. But I might get used to you calling me _sir_ so you better quit while you’re ahead.” She can practically feel his devilish grin through the headset. “You kinky _Ghost_.”

He...he _was_ flirting with her! After all that happened in their game, he was _flirting_ with her? Wasn’t he offended? Upset? Wasn’t he--?

“Don’t get it twisted. You definitely need to do better next time. I would say you should practice with my hologram first, get some bot matches under your belt. And probably read up on my counters. Do some damn research.”

He goes silent then, taking advantage of her shock to build up his own, and she can tell he’s about to say something with a lot of weight behind it. Like he’d been thinking about it for a while, but just couldn’t put it into words.

“But I want you to come back. Let’s try again. Okay?”

The woman was already leaned back in her chair, and it was a good thing too, because if she’d been standing she probably would have collapsed to the ground. Hit her head. Had to go to the hospital. The works. 

He wanted to play with her again. Even after her abysmal show, he wanted her to come back. The thought spreads the embarrassment to flattery and it shoots to all corners of her body like the points of a star.

While she desperately wanted to go back to her lane, the big scary cat man she thought he was wasn’t as big and scary as she’d anticipated. He must not have been if he wanted to try again with her tutelage. Perhaps his blustering was all a front? Maybe that playboy attitude was his way of coping with his losses in life? Maybe--

“If you don’t say something soon, I’m gonna take it personally.”

She squeaked at the voice. Shit, she’d been quiet that whole time! He probably thought she was ignoring him!

“I’m sorry! I-I was just shocked!” She swallows thickly. “I want to try again. I want to do better!”

He laughs again, this time much more softly and it sounds like the earthy sound of a fatherly figure. The tenor is deep and honest. Pure.

“Alright then. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ghost.”

“Yeah. I’ll see you.”

Their line disconnects. The stat board is back to the intermission screen and the walls are slowly coming back down around her enclosed space.

His expression was symbolic; they wouldn’t actually _see_ each other. But the intent is there. And it’s the second chance she didn’t think she would get. He wants her to try again.

The quiet laugh echoes in her ears and she can’t help but thinking that maybe top lane wasn’t so bad afterall.


	3. Red Buff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation with old friends and misunderstanding with (potential) new ones. Plus a good helping of exposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the mechanics of this world are a bit more understandable after this chapter. It takes some careful tweaking to set up that drama just right ; )
> 
> Also shout outs to Phreak for Tons of Damage

### Chapter 3: Red Buff

**A heavy additive slow, combined with extra damage for easier early game ganks. Enables the jungler to assist their team more easily.**

“So, how was it?”

“Yeah, you seem to be in one piece!”

“*Were you able to win at least?*”

“Well,” Ghost pauses, the drink halfway to her mouth before letting out a wry chuckle. “We got our asses kicked. Though it wasn’t entirely my fault.”

They’d already agreed that after Ghost’s first time top lane that the foursome would head out to dinner, so it was no surprise finding them at Riot’s most popular hub, the TriForce. It was a play on the game’s most commonly built item Trinity Force, something she’d already had Sett build, and one of Riot’s senior member’s favorite items. The locale was from all walks of life, though mostly Runeterra players, and it was easy to spot many of the league’s players hanging out and having a good time.

They were seated outside on the patio, the glittering lights above them sparkling against the night’s backdrop, and Ghost took a moment to appreciate the view of Summoner’s Rift from a different angle. It was nice seeing it peaceful rather than full of minions and KDAs. 

“That’s too bad. I was hoping you guys would get super lucky and just win.” Lux pouted sympathetically, leaning her head on her chin, sipping her drink with pouting lips.

“Yeah, but that was definitely a long shot. Their team basically had two new players!” Lulu chirped from beside the blond, sitting on her booster seat so she could be as high up as the others, and Lux gave her a swift bonk to the noggin.

“Don’t be rude!”

“Aw come on, it’s just a friendly ribbing!”

Sona giggled behind a hand, her long twin tails still floating despite the fact that she was sitting in her chair and not elevated by magic. “*You two are so silly sometimes*.”

“Well she’s not wrong!” Ghost interjected, before flopping over dramatically onto the table. “I just wish things had gone better with him!”

“ _Oh_?” The three immediately perked up, the forbidden name not mentioned but implied.

“What was he like?” Lulu asked first, green eyes wide with wonder.

“Yeah girl spill! Was he really as scary as we thought?”

Now that she had the other three’s undivided attention, Ghost felt the sting of embarrassment crowding her cheeks, and she looked down.

“Well, he wasn’t actually _that_ bad. He did yell at me a few times--” She looked up quickly at the sound of Lux slamming a palm on the table, other fist clenched menacingly. “B-But it was my fault!”

“No way Ghost! I’m sure whatever you did did _not_ warrant getting yelled at!”

“For real! I was being really rude to him! He had every right!” She waved both hands frantically at Lux’s anger. “I was being a real asshole to him!”

“*That’s odd. I can’t imagine you being rude enough to get yelled at. What did you say?*” Sona mused quietly, brow furrowed in confusion.

Ghost halted her movements and looked down again, the embarrassed color to her cheeks darkening to shame instead.

“It’s really stupid…”

So she recounted their argument, the one where she’d been disgusted by his refusal to wear proper gear, and the three listened in rapt attention. It wasn’t entirely her fault, but Lulu still made a noise of disapproval and even Lux frowned at her poor choice of words.

“Well, I guess I can see why he was mad. Does that mean you have to find a new champion to work with?” Lux went back to sipping her drink, thoughtfully this time.

Ghost shook her head. “No actually. He said he wants to work with me again.”

“For _real--_ ” Lulu started to say but paused as the waiter finally arrived with their food. The conversation halted momentarily as their server doled out each item quickly, four separate hot plates of steaming food, and left just as quickly as they’d arrived.

“Do you mean to tell me--” Lulu continued, chewing around a french fry. “--that you insulted his style, then got him killed, and he _still_ wants you to come back?”

The white haired woman nodded, biting into her chicken sandwich with barely disguised concern.

“Wow. He must like you then.”

And that bite immediately clogged in her throat.

“W-What??” She sputtered, choking for a moment. “Lux, what do you _mean_?”

The blond laughed at her, handing the tragic woman her drink. “I just mean he liked you enough to keep you around. As in, he thinks he can work with you.” She said blithely.

“You thought she meant as in _like like_ ? Come on sis, he’s known you for _one game_. And plus he doesn’t even know what you look like.” Lulu added sagely, dumping ketchup on her plate in a generous dollop.

“*Perhaps then that means he’s intrigued enough by your dynamic. At least this means you can get more consistent practice, even if you aren’t planning on staying long*.” Sona finalized. She wasn’t interrupted by food in her mouth, having the ability to speak telepathically, and her sandwich made it to her mouth unhindered.

Ghost chose to say nothing, her face warm enough to set fire to her hair if she wasn’t careful, and instead took another heavy bite of her chicken. These girls were dangerous right now, that was for sure.

“Although,” Lux said after a moment’s pause. “What would you do if he _did_ like you? You know, hypothetically speaking.”

“Yeah Ghost! Hypothetimacally speaking--”

“ _Hypothetically.”_

“That’s what I said.”

“No it’s not--”

“ _Anyway_ .” Lulu continued, unabashed at Lux’s correction. “Hypothetically speaking, what _would_ you do?”

It was a good thing she’d just swallowed because Ghost was just about to choke again. Why in the hell she was so taken off guard, she’d no idea. It’s not like they hadn’t discussed how attractive certain champions were in the past. All of them were inclined to _someone_ after all, some of them the same person, and it was rather normal for them to gab about cute boys and girls all night. So why in the hell was it so hard for her to talk about _Sett_ of all people?

Oh. Oh yeah.

“I’m not sure actually. I don’t know enough about him to say--”

“*Come on love, you know what we mean*.” Sona interrupts her with a mischievous grin, eyes crinkled.

Oh yes, she _did_ know what they meant. And that meant admitting the obvious.

“Hnnn, Jesus Christ you guys, he is _so_ pretty--”

“ _Right_ ??? I was just telling Lulu after you left how _drop dead gorgeous he is_ \--”

“And I tried to tell her that you two are both super WEIRD. He’s way too beefy! You’re fine with rubbing against hard ROCKS all night?”

“*Rocks would be an understatement. Though I wouldn’t mind being crushed by that slab if you know what I mean.*”

Lux positively busted up laughing, squealing with high pitched giggles while Lulu gave Sona the most deadpanned stare her round face could muster. Ghost buried her face in her hands, the redness to her cheeks reaching critical mass.

God, why did she agree to come out here with them?

“*Anyway,*” Sona cleared her throat in a dignified manner, not a hair out of place in her serene expression. “*There’s nothing wrong with finding him attractive. I’m certain he would feel the same if he saw you.*”

“Yeah!!! You’re such a--a--a SNACK!” Lulu added helpfully, yeeting a french fry in the air with her enthusiasm. 

“But guys, I’m not even worried about that! He’s just someone I have to work with right now! It’s not anything more than that!” She replied hotly.

It was true. She had dalliances with certain champs, but only some of them became actual friends. Like these three. Sett was not someone she intended on adding to that short list. And while he _was_ devastatingly pretty, she didn’t plan on seeing him in that capacity like Arthur did with Eve.

“That’s true. All we’re saying is there’s nothing wrong with looking,” Lux stated matter of factly, holding her index finger up. “You’ll only have so long to do so, so you’d better live it up!”

Lulu nodded enthusiastically and even Sona gave a polite nod, the mischievous twinkle still in her eyes.

Ghost shrugged noncommittally and returned her attention back to her meal. She understood what they were saying, but was embarrassed about it anyway; mostly because she’d made such a fuss about working with him. Plus, he wasn’t such a bad guy anyway, and all that drama was for nothing. Trying to admit that she found him attractive seemed so shallow, even if it was true.

Well, either way, this arrangement was temporary. So, she only had so long to _look_. That wasn’t such a bad idea, right?

\------------------

Just over ten years ago was when it happened. Their worlds merged.

It was a lot less exciting than one might think. They weren’t exactly an invading force, --this was unexpected for Runeterra as well. But they merged all the same, for one reason or another, and life was never the same.

It was pretty unusual, all things considered, and naturally the government had to get involved to make sure there was no threat. When they found out there wasn’t, they started treating Runeterra like a foreign country; that was suddenly sharing their country. Treaties were signed, borders established, and life went on as normal as it could. For a time.

Eventually their worlds could not help but collide more _iconically_. Riot, a faction of Runeterra citizens who wanted to explore the wonders of their new mergance decided to create a sporting event, one that would be sure to bring both cultures together.

It was called League of Legends.

At first, only a few Champions would come over to the human world. This was all still too new after all, but there were some curious and adventurous types who were willing to make the leap. As the years went by, that number grew larger and larger, and eventually it started to become the sporting event on par with football or baseball.

Champions were essentially contracted workers. Either they could have a rotation every day of Summoners who wished to play their game, or they could remain exclusive to one Summoner depending on their progress. If you were exclusive, it could be because you didn’t want a lot of new Summoners to deal with or you were trying for ranked. Not all Champions wanted the fame; some just enjoyed the spectacle.

When Ghost and Arthur first joined the ranks, they were just playing for fun. She’d heard about the game from her college’s recruiting office that wanted to promote wellness between the nations, so she joined, ready to help. Her first few Champions were rotation only, so once she would finish a game with them, they would be onto their next Summoner. For a while, she didn’t have a main person to work with.

And then she met Sona.

The two hit it off right away, and the melodious woman was very inclined to working with her exclusively if she so chose. Ghost agreed, and they became a peerless duo. This led all the way up to when they attempted ranked for the first time, which was much more serious and _required_ Champions and Summoners to remain exclusive. They’d made Gold five. It was _electrifying_.

After that they dipped out of ranked, going back to playing for fun, and that’s when Lux and Lulu joined her barracks. They too were rotating between other Summoners as well, especially because Riot didn’t want too many Champions with one Summoner (there weren’t enough to go around at the time) so Sona went back to her normal rotations. This meant they could all still be her Champions while still keeping up their numbers.

A few years went by like this and more and more Champions came over to the League. Once it was clear that this new connection between their worlds was not only safe but _interesting_ , more people were ready to become part of the sport. They even started crossing over into the human world, getting houses, making friends, and establishing a hub of sorts in their city. This was where they built TriForce, the first human/Runeterra establishment since the merge three years previously.

And then, Ghost and Arthur quit the League.

She was getting much too busy with her work and studies, and he simply lost interest in the game itself. This didn’t mean she abandoned her friends however, and she kept in close contact with all three of her lovely ladies as much as she could with her schedule. Unfortunately, life never quite eased up on her enough to make it back to the game, and she slowly distanced more and more till eventually the girls became long distanced friends. That wasn’t a problem for them however, since they understood just what kind of pressure she was under, and they accepted her time when she was able to give it.

During her last year as a piano teacher, she’d met both Takahashi and Sato. The two young men were her last students before she’d moved on, and she felt instantly like their older sister. Takahashi started first and that was because his parents forced him. He really, _really_ didn’t want to play piano, but he didn’t have a choice, so for three times a week he would come by her house and would plink away miserably at the keys. That was how life was for him though, a series of forced social and academic interactions that he had no say in, and this made her all the more protective of the young man. Once he found out she was a gamer however, all bets were off. They would play piano, and then move onto Smash bros in the remaining time. It helped ease the tension for him.

Sato joined almost immediately after, and he took to piano much better than Takahashi did. The both of them were friends, so she doubled up on their lessons and he was also able to assist, coaching Takahashi in the way only teenage boys could with their friends.

What a pair of idiots.

Teaching wasn’t a viable enough job for her anymore however, and these two would be her final students. It was bittersweet, and she tried more than once to make it work where she could continue teaching the instrument she loved while also making a living, but something had to change. But then the two of them offered to stay in touch through Discord since she was the only cool teacher they’d had before and she eagerly accepted.

And that brought them to three years later and to the present.

Takahashi was the one to approach them first, asking about a game called League of Legends. Ghost was shocked, but also hit with such a wave of nostalgia it was hard to shake. She’d loved being an ambassador for Riot, hanging out on the fields with her girls and staying up all night chatting. Now that she had a cushy office job that was paying her well enough (even though it was so boring she could die) League was something she could invest in again. So she went down to Riot’s headquarters once again to sign up for her Summoner status.

They all went together, established as Rotational --For Fun-- and jumped right back into the world of Summoner’s Rift.

For Ghost, it was as easy as riding a bike. Her three friends welcomed her back with open arms, and they proceeded to dominate bot lane like she’d never left. Arthur however made quite a few acquaintances with his newfound list of potential junglers. Lots of old faces, some interesting new ones, and they were once again hooked.

A few things had changed now that there were so many Champions (140 holy shit) and there was a lot more wiggle room for laning and Champion rotations. They still had a voice in which lane they preferred, and each Champion could select where they wanted to go and perform their best --which meant Lulu would be in bot lane no matter how much she would joke about being an excellent top ADC.

At first Takahashi was paired with Darius top. They got along rather well, and everything seemed to be working out for them just fine. But soon enough, the young man reached a wall he couldn’t pass, and that was because no matter how they tried to explain it to him, he couldn’t get the basics down. Eventually Darius had to explain to him in his not so subtle way, that Takahashi had to learn how to play the game properly before he could come back top. And that was that.

Takahashi took the criticism to face, and broke away from the scene for a while. This hit Ghost like a truck, knowing him as well as she did, and she knew she _had_ to do something; they wouldn’t even be here again if it weren’t for him. It’s not like she _wanted_ to go top lane --it was the scariest lane to her if she was being honest-- but no one else was offering. They were all fine with Takahashi simply drifting in and out when he pleased. So she offered her lane to him where he could learn without the harshness of soloing and accepted a position in top lane. Solemnly.

However, there was one problem --the only non-ranked exclusive top laner right now was Sett. If she was going up there, she wanted to stick with one Champion (so as to not get attached to too many new friends) and he wanted someone specific to work with, so he was her only option. Thankfully he wasn’t trying for ranked, but it sounded like the Boss wasn’t willing to work with too many people. That alone made him scarier just by proxy.

So here she was, once again in the hot seat, ready to take on another game. It was already the next day, and she’d spent all night doing research on her new partner.

Lists like these were subjective, and so she took everything with a grain of salt. What one person would consider a counter, another would have no qualms with. It would all come down to the tactics of the enemy summoner and her coordination with Sett. And right now, they had very little.

The walls ascended, screens turned on, and she placed the bluetooth in her ear.

She’d shared a brief overview with her team on how everything went, but only divulged so much. She merely promised to do better the next day, and they’d all nodded in agreement. Their team comp today would be much the same --Takahashi still working with Taric-- but this time Sato was teaming up with Annie.

She selected Sett and waited for her allies to lock in. His portrait gazed down at her beautifully, and it was as if those piercing yellows could see right through her. It’s not like Sett could actually see her, especially if she didn’t want him to, but it was like she could feel his heated gaze crawling over her skin.

She shivered involuntarily. 

She hit submit, locking in. And the bluetooth crackled to life.

“Welcome back.”

His voice rumbled in her ear like smooth silk, and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks immediately.

“Thanks. It’s good to be back.”

She heard him make a noise of approval.

“So, did you do any research?”

“Yes actually. I looked up a lot of guides and practiced a few bot games at my house. Your kit is very straightforward, but tactical. I could do a lot of damage if I get the distance correct on your shield and pull.”

“That’s the key right there. Get that stun off, let me go to work.”

“Exactly.” She paused for a moment to flick through her tablet, looking through the item sets she’d premade yesterday. “I also have a few builds in mind based on what we’re up against and I tweaked my rune pages for some better sustain. Early game should go a little better now.”

“Hey alright, that’s what I like to hear.” He sounded pleased, a grin visible in her ear and she flushed in pleasure. “I did some of my own research as well.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh?”

“GhostTracks86. Gold five season 2. Mainly support bot lane. Lux, Lulu and Sona. Seems like Sona carried you all the way up to ranked huh?”

“Y-Yeah. She was my first support champ and we became friends really fast.”

He chuckled to himself, and the hairs on her arms stood up.

“I figured you were a support lane. No wonder top lane terrifies you.”

“H-Hey!” Ghost is momentarily distracted as the final person on the enemy team locks in, starting the countdown. Sett’s massive portrait fills the room and her heated cheeks darken further despite her indignance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It _means_ , Little Spirit, that you have no kill streak in you. This lane is your antithesis. And I have no idea why you’re up here.”

The hairs on the back of her neck stand up now, and everything runs cold. It’s not like he _wouldn’t_ look her up, so this shouldn’t have been a surprise. But having him lay out her transgressions like that felt dishonest, and she couldn’t help the pit sinking in her stomach that he’d had to find out her intentions through research.

Plus, he’d called her _Little Spirit_ . Just what in the hell did _that_ mean?

“I...yeah, you’re right. It really isn’t quite the lane for me, is it? B-But, I’m here now, and I have a job to do. Isn’t that enough?”

It’s not that she didn’t want to tell him --being dishonest was not a comfortable feeling-- but this arrangement was temporary, and she wanted as little attachment as possible. It would make breaking everything off later that much easier.

And that was something she’d never disclosed to him.

“Keh, not enough for me. I’d like to at least know my Summoner’s intentions. Can’t trust anyone with a damn agenda.” He replied darkly.

That she could sympathize with. Perhaps she could tell him; it’s not like it would ruin anything for him to know.

“I came up top lane to help our newest member. He tried top, but was having a difficult time with it. Supporting bot lane would give him a chance to figure out the basics at his leisure. We want him to stick around, and this seemed like the easiest solution.”

She held the tablet tightly in her hands, staring down at the words without really reading them, while concentrating hard on the sound of his voice.

When he did respond, it was quiet, leveled. Like he was gauging something.

“And did you choose to do this? Or were you forced into it?”

“I chose to. It made the most sense.”

“Don’t misunderstand me, Ghost. Did you _choose_ this, or were you forced into it?”

She inhaled sharply. What did he mean by that? Was he implying that her team was making her do this? Cos they hadn’t. She was the one who decided to do this. She was the one who _suggested_ it.

“I...I offered and he took it.”

“Hmm.”

He didn’t sound satisfied, and she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

But who the hell cares if he believed her or not? It didn’t matter in the end. He had his answer now, and that meant he could trust her, right?

They didn’t have any more time to discuss it because the game had started. She watched him and their teammates meteor down onto the spawn area, flexing like anime characters, before turning to each other and giving a swift nod. 

“I guess I shouldn’t pry; but I will tell you that I know you’re lying.”

He’s looking at the shop keeper, his back to her field of view, and her hand pauses over the tablet looking through the starting items.

“Are you calling me out?”

“Don’t be stupid. Of course I am.”

He quickly collected his ward, health potion and shield, before taking off quickly through the base towards jungle. She’s directed him to do so because even though they were talking, that didn’t mean he should remain stationary at base, but her hand is trembling against the pointer, wondering if she should just guide him right into the damn tower.

“I don’t know why it matters so much whether or not I chose this. I’m here now. Can’t we just work together?”

“No. If you can’t be honest with me, how am I supposed to trust you?”

He stops easily in the bush, adjusting his fur collar with vigor and tossing his hair aside, out of his eyes. “And it sounds like you aren’t even being honest with _yourself_.”

This...this--this asshole! Why in the hell did he even _care_!

A part of her whispered that he was just trying to connect with her since she was his exclusive Summoner now, and there was really no reason for her to withhold this truth, but another part of her was too blinded with indignance to realize her overreaction.

“Of course I’m honest with myself! I want Takahashi to stick around! So I volunteered--”

“Oh, you _volunteered_ did you? Did any of your teammates offer? Or was it just you?”

“They--” She stopped, heart collapsing on her throat. He was right; none of them had offered anything. It was just her.

“They didn’t, did they?”

Sett has taken her silence as consent, and she clamps her gaping mouth shut with a click of teeth. He...was right. The white haired woman has nothing else to say, and she looks down at her hands wondering why in the world this was so damn important to him. It didn’t matter to her, so why did it to _him_?

“Are you the only girl on your team?”

She fidgets, fingers flexing on the tablet and sighs. “Yeah.”

“That makes more sense.”

Her sighing is contagious, and he huffs out an exaggerated breath, but she can’t tell what he’s doing aside from that. Her gaze is decidedly in her lap, chagrined once again.

“Hey... can you zoom in for a second? I want to look you in the eye when I say this.”

Eh? She looks up quickly at the request. He sounded...softer? Sincere?

“Yeah, sure. You can’t actually _see_ me though--”

“It’s symbolic. Humor me, please?” Even from way up here in her vantage point she can see him shrug.

Well alright. What could it hurt?

She took her pointer and leaned forward in her seat. He was still hidden in the bush, but he moved outwards just a bit so she could see him properly, his visage zooming inwards as she scrolled. With how big the map was, she couldn’t exactly zoom in perfectly to his face, but it was enough that she could actually see his expression. And he looked sympathetic.

His unruly red mane lay flat over one side of his face, but he tossed it aside with a hair flip, revealing both his eyes. He crossed his arms, two very muscled and bulging limbs more suited for fighting than anything else, and his mouth was decidedly set in a frown.

Even though he couldn’t see her, it was like he _could_ and just like his portrait had pierced her soul, so did his eyes up close. Dammit…he was _really_ pretty.

“I don’t know you well at all, but I feel like I should tell you this as a man: stop letting assholes push you around.”

She stiffened immediately. “W-What?”

“Just because you’re the only female in your group doesn’t mean you’re the one who has to yield. If you’re good in your lane, then you’re good. Your skills matter.” His eyes narrowed, lip curling just a bit with a flash of teeth. “Just because some assholes don’t want to change their way of life doesn’t mean _you_ have to.”

What the hell was all _this_ about? She fumbled, lips pursing over a response, but she had nothing. For some reason, the way he said that was...painful. Like he was recalling something from his past. Or his present. Was he the type of person who bullied the women around him and regretted it? Or was it someone else in his life that he cared for? She doesn’t even have the energy to shoot back that Takahashi wasn’t an asshole at all --his conviction was _that clear_.

“That’s all I’ll say about it. Just know that I respect your skills as a bot laner; even if your teammates won’t.”

He shrugged then, the tight posture relaxing just a bit, but never quite leaving his face. His jaw was still set, firm and stoic, and his eyes flashed with recognition.

Damn, he was serious.

“T-Thanks. I never really thought about it that way, but you may be right. I only volunteered because…” She paused and took a slow breath. It wasn’t something she wanted to consider, but now that he’d pointed it out so directly it really made sense. “Because I thought no one else would.”

She was the only one really upset that he didn’t keep playing, so it only made sense that she was the one to give. But it was still really shitty that none of the rest of her team was willing to bend, almost as if they expected _her_ to be the one to do so.

“Keh, thought so.” Was his instinctual reply. He looked to the side, brows furrowing. “It’s no wonder you didn’t want to be up here.”

Well that wasn’t exactly true, was it? Sure she had her trepidations, but it’s not like Sett was _Scion_ or something!

“It’s not that bad actually! I didn’t really know what to expect when I came up here, and you just seemed so big and scary, so I probably overreacted a bit!” She paused to laugh sheepishly. “Plus, once Takahashi is comfortable in laning, he said he would switch me back, so it’s not permanent or anything!”

At this admission, Sett immediately jerked his head up, eyes wider than she’d seen them before even in the heat of battle, and he stared directly where he thought she was looking.

“You ain’t staying?”

Ah! He’d crossed his arms again, this time the muscles seemingly bulging even further with tension, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Had she said something offensive?

“W-Well, no, that was never my intention. It was probably only going to be for a few weeks or so...” She thought for sure that would mollify him; he seemed mostly upset that she lost her lane, so being able to return should be a good thing right? He looked more angry than anything else, but the way he responded sounded like an accusation.

“So you’re letting him bully you out of your lane because you’re too damn _kind_ and then you aren’t even planning on attempting the lane you’ve exiled yourself to?”

He sighed, uncrossing his arms enough to hold a palm to his forehead. Behind the shielding gold knuckles and gauntlets, she could no longer see his face. And that made her swallow thickly. “I just don’t _understand_ you.”

Heat; a flash of anger. Just what was his _problem_ ? They were purely on a professional level at this point! Why was he acting like she was _abandoning_ him? Just because he wasn’t rotating every day with a different Summoner didn’t mean they were contracted for _life_. She could move on any time she liked and he knew that. So why the hang up?

Teeth clenched and she let out a low frustrated growl.

“There’s nothing to understand, Sett! You’ve got all the information now! I’m here temporarily while my teammate learns. Don’t get it _twisted_.” She replied waspishly. The anger seemed unjustified, but it felt like every time she made a move he had a damn problem with it! And a Champ who constantly questioned their Summoner didn’t make a great working relationship.

_30 seconds until minions spawn._

Like clockwork, both of them gazed upwards in the direction of the heavenly voice, tension cut like a cord. Whatever continued beef they had would have to wait; it was time to start.

\-----------------

There was a plethora of knowledge to learn when it came to top laning, but it all boiled down to three basic steps: Don’t feed, Don’t get ganked, Help with Rift Herald. Because top lane was so isolated from the rest of the map, it might as well have been its own continent, and as such took much less priority. Dragon was bot lane, as was the AD carry, and more often than not, those took priority for any jungler. A top laner was meant to exist on their own without the help of the other lanes. The loneliest lane. 

Ghost was not used to this. Even when she dallied with mid lane, she still had an almost constant jungle presence, never mind the ease of running down to bot lane to help. So when she’d learned just how sequestered top lane was, it seemed like something she would never quite get used to.

Luckily for her, Sett was just fine being alone.

The Vastayan was brutal in his attacks and carried himself like a walking tank. According to many sites she’d visited the night before, he was a bruiser and could take hits like a champ. If she decided to build him entirely tanky, he would still deliver decent damage, and even if he built nothing but six Blade of the Ruined King, he could still tank a hit to the chest. The red head was well rounded, bulky and dangerous.

And he was also ignoring her.

Sure, he would do as she commanded, and he held onto their early game lead just fine with her directions, but each time she’d try to engage with him outside of a direct order, the Vastayan would very directly turn his head. Away from her.

Was he _sulking_?

God, she wanted to call him out on it, but this was not the time. For the second game in row, they were mired with petty drama, stifling their communications and moods with negative feelings more pronounced than a damn pink ward. What in the hell had she said to piss him off so much?

Ghost was much more careful this time, and they managed to secure a kill without casualty. Bot lane had already gotten the first blood with a double kill, thanks to Arthur and Eve controlling the tri bush down there, so there was no excitement for Sett’s kill. Still, she felt proud, and said as much to him.

And he’d merely grunted in response.

‘This is so damn stupid’ she couldn’t help thinking, giving the tablet an angry tap as he Q’d a minion for a last hit. ‘If he can’t even have a professional relationship with me while I’m up here, I might as well just go back to regular rotation. At least then I don’t have to stick with the same person the whole time.’

It would have been much easier to work with just one person for this duration, especially when it came to performing well through consistent practice --she wanted to do _well_ up here even if she didn’t want to _be_ here-- but that may not be an option anymore. If the only exclusive champ was being this moody, then she may have to just bite the bullet and suck at top lane for a few weeks. At least she could handle the abuse as an adult.

Ten minutes into laning phase, and they’d successfully bullied out the enemy Akali. The ninja was invisible in her shroud, but that didn’t matter with Facebreaker. Usually Sett’s long reach would find her in the smoke, and bully her into dashing away. Their minion farm was pretty good as well and he was already almost completely done with Trinity Force.

She was good at this, right? At least, better than before.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she sees it: the enemy jungler.

This time she’d had him buy a pink ward early and he’d placed it in the brush right at the mouth of river, and Ghost could see Kayn gliding up to destroy it.

“Sett, look alive. Here comes Kayn. He’ll probably be distracted taking out the pink ward, so get out of there.”

“What? I don’t need to leave. Akali barely has half health, and he’s only level 4. I could take them both easy.”

“But if he gets the jump on you--”

“Which he won’t since you can _see_ him. We can take them.”

“A-Are you sure?”

He growled in her ear, slamming a minion into the ground harder than necessary and she practically jumped in her seat.

“Just because you don’t want to stay up here doesn’t mean you can’t trust me. And it definitely doesn’t mean I can’t win. I can crush them easily.”

Didn’t want to be up here--? Is _that_ what he thought?

“Is this why you’re being so broody and silent--?”

“We don’t have time for that right now! I can hear him coming!”

Goddamit, what should she do? On one hand, if she disengaged and got away, he wouldn’t die and she wouldn’t be reprimanded as he paced the penalty box. On the other hand, he wanted to stay and fight; she should honor his wishes. But if she messed up and he died, well…

The memory of their last game was still fresh.

There wasn’t enough time to think about it. Kayn was already here.

“I--” She paused, watching the gliding champion slink from the shadows, scythe in hand, and Akali dart forward, ready to pincer.

“Ghost, goddammit, _trust me_!”

He’s shouting in her ear, she’s recoiling, but dammit she’s _not_ a terrible League player, and she stayed up all night doing research, and just because he’s angry at her over something _stupid_ didn’t mean she couldn’t--

“Now!”

They must not have noticed their positioning, and as Akali darted into Sett’s space so did Kayn and that was the perfect opportunity to crack some skulls. Like a father reprimanding his petulant children, Sett reached out simultaneously to both invading enemies, grabbed them by the faces, and then slammed them together. Instantly dazed, the two dropped to the ground, and Sett delivered two successive punches to the ninja. She got up quickly however, but before she could jump away, that split second he was on her again, powerful legs kicking out beneath him as Sett yanked her lifelessly body into the sky and back downwards.

You have slain an enemy.

One down, Kayn to go.

“Here--”

He’s immediately turned around, running straight at the aggressor with reckless abandon, and it’s almost like they were perfectly in sync. She knew exactly what to do to take out Kayn. He’d already used his gliding ability to engage, so he didn’t have it available to him, and that was his only means of escape.

Q goes out, and Sett is on the chase, stomping through the river like a man on a mission, and there is nowhere for Kayn to run to. The Vastayan reaches him and delivers both quick blows.

“Haymaker!”

“ _Got it_!”

Charge is built, the concussive blow knocking back so hard it ripples the water beneath their feet.

Double Kill!

**Kwll: Dang, nice!**

**TeenSpirit: Baller!**

**Hackerman: :D**

**Ough: poggggers**

Her teammates congratulations spit into the headset in rapid succession and she gives a whoop of joy. A whole ass double kill! She was up three kills now and zero deaths!

“You might wanna stay down.” Sett chuckles. He’s still standing in river above Kayn's lifeless body and even from up here she can tell how pleased he is.

Damn, was this his true power? He really was a damn _machine_.

“That was incredible! I can’t believe how quickly that was all over!” Ghost chirps excitedly. She subtly taps on the tablet the recall button and watches as the wide beam of blue light circles around his feet, ready to take him back to base. Now that they had a good chunk of money, she wanted him to go back and finish that TriForce.

“I _told_ you I could win. I didn’t take over the pit out of sheer good looks you know.” He’s cracking his knuckles now, removing the golden gauntlets to flex his fingers and he grins cheekily. “Though I probably could have.”

“Ha ha,” She responds, deadpanned. “Maybe if good looks were enough to bash walls in, otherwise you’ll still need some clear direction. You wild animal.”

“ **Hey**.” He barks and suddenly all the humor is gone from his voice. “What the hell did you just say?”

Wait a minute, why did he --oh shit, that sounded _racist_. 

She scrambles, panicking, because holy shit she did not mean to call a Half Vastayan an _animal_. “No no, I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just an expression, and--”

The beam has now fully condensed around his body and he’s instantly relocated back to base. But that relocation did not interrupt the full body laugh ringing in her ears. It lasts for several seconds, his body quaking in mirth, and she can’t tell whether to be scared or insulted.

When she finds him at the fountain, he’s bent over, hands on his knees, laughing his ass off.

“Okay Sett, what the hell?” She yells, exasperated. “I wasn’t trying to be racist! It’s just a dumb expression!”

“I know! That’s what makes it so damn funny!” He gasps out between chuckles. “You really thought I was _offended_ didn’t you!”

Her mouth drops open in shock, eyes bugged out at the screen watching him trying to straighten out but being unable to as he could not stop laughing. Did he really find this all that damn _funny?_

“Ugh! You are impossible! You-you stupid _animal!_ ” Now it’s her turn to bark and she nearly flings her tablet in disgust.

“There you go again!” He laughs even harder now, if that was possible, and her jaw clenches. “You’re like an angry kitten you know? Trying to attack the _big cat_!”

“At least I’m not all brawn like you are! Some of us have brains in our skulls!”

“Some of us don’t need them when we’re ass kickers! And it helps to look good while doing it too!” He finally manages to straighten up just in time to flex dramatically, mane extra unruly around his neck and shoulders. It makes him look primal, like a neanderthal, and every amount of good will she’d felt towards him quickly boiled into embarrassment. How could she have thought he was pretty! He was an _asshole!_

“Go buy your damn Sheen! You can’t muscle your way into reading an item correctly, so you better choose the right one!”

Her insults are getting more and more pathetic, but all Sett does is chuckle amicably as every one of them bounces off of him.

He saunters over to the shopkeeper, pointing at the desired item, and the gold is dutifully subtracted from their total. He also picks up another pink ward (since Kayn destroyed the other one) and his upgraded boots.

He’s quiet now, mercifully so, and Ghost feels the anxiety drain from her body. Dammit, she did _not_ mean to insult him like that. All he’d done was ask her to trust him. This whole time she’d been keeping things from him, being cagey about her reluctance to stay in his lane, when they could have just as easily formed a normal alliance. All the prejudice based on his appearance, believing he was an asshole because he was vain, getting scared of his complaints when they both knew how frustrating it was to lose a teamfight; all of it.

Did she ever treat Sona like this? Of course not. So why was she doing it to him?

She points at the tower, the line drawn on the map of his pathway, and she can’t help but look directly at his bulky form taking off towards it. He’s fidgeting as he runs, snapping his fingers, cracking his knuckles, jerking his arms out like he was stretching. He was... _good_. Reliable. Strong. And she was...insincere.

It takes the wind out of her sails.

“Sett...I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

“What the hell for? I told you I wasn’t _actually_ offended--”

“No, not about that. You were right. I don’t trust you. And--” She pauses to take a deep, calming breath. Her hands are shaking. “I should.”

He’s quiet, feet padding dutifully towards his lane and she can’t tell what he’s thinking about. Would he think she was silly for worrying so much? Would he take it at face value and they could put it behind them? Or was it not sincere enough?

“That’s a good start. You _should_ trust me. We can’t do this until you do.”

“I-I know. I was just…”

“Worried about what the big scary Half Vastayan would say to you, right?”

“Yeah…”

He’s at his tower now and Akali still hasn’t returned. This was a prime opportunity to continue farming, so she instructs him towards the growing pile of enemy minions and lets him go to town.

“I would say that you shouldn’t be prejudiced like that, but I can see where you’re coming from. Having only interacted with people like supports you don’t get a lot of experience with us grizzled types.” He sighs. It makes her heart clench. “Though I wish you’d just _told_ me.”

“I wanted to, I really did! But I didn’t want you to just think I was coming up here for kicks! And plus, I never expected it to be permanent. I still don’t.”

“So that’s what this is then? A trial run? You come up here, get your feet wet while your teammate learns the basics and then you switch back?”

“That was my plan, yeah.”

A lot of times champions would pair up with a summoner and they wouldn’t last. Either they didn’t get along or the summoner would choose a different lane. There were some summoners who could never decide and had a wide range of allies they would move all along the map with. For some reason though, Ghost never felt like explaining her situation to Sett. He just didn’t seem like the person who was willing to be used like that. Especially since he wanted an exclusive Summoner.

“I guess I can work with that. Is that why you won’t tell me your real name?”

She’d forgotten about that. In the very beginning he’d asked her, but she didn’t want to disclose it to him. The fewer attachments the better. With any luck, if they accidentally bumped into each other outside of the ring, he would be none the wiser. It put her that much further into a position of power over him, and it weighed heavily in her stomach like a rock.

“Yeah...I’m sorry. I just…”

“Don’t want any attachments. I get it.”

He went silent after that, and it was the worst silence yet. Of all the times they’d had their silly, petty drama, this one felt the toughest. Since when did he care so much about maintaining a relationship? From what she could tell, Sett didn’t give a damn about anything but making money. He toiled endlessly for other people, same as his mother, before he’d decided enough was enough and took over the pit himself. Now that he had that lineage, he could run it into the ground or into the heavens, whatever his heart desired. And playing in Summoner’s Rift was just another means to that end.

He shouldn’t care about his friendship with his summoner. She had to believe that.

“Here comes Akali. Let’s see if we can’t put this Sheen to good use.”

\--------------

Defeat.

This was getting old.

It wasn’t exactly her fault this time. They’d done well enough top lane that suddenly everyone kept ganking them. At one point, four people tackled him under his tower, and he’d spent a good twenty seconds absolutely losing his shit in the penalty box.

Once again their poor bot lane got rolled, the enemy Jhin making for a disgustingly fed contender. While it was only their second game, it still felt bitter, and Ghost was counting down the seconds till this was all over.

For the rest of the game, he’d been cordial, but distant. No more did he try and flirt with her, or crack jokes, or even get angry. He just focused on the game. And it was like a cord snapped in her heart.

She didn’t want to be friends with him, right? This wouldn’t last long enough. And it would make leaving that much harder in the end. Even if she could still be his friend and see him outside of work like the girls, it didn’t sound like that’s the kind of person he was. So this would be it. But it didn’t mean that everything should be _miserable_ up here. They could establish a polite friendship, even if it was just temporary. That wouldn’t be so bad, right?

At the end of the game, she looked upon her stats and made a quiet noise of approval in the back of her throat. Much better this time, though they still technically lost their lane. Even Sett was impressed with her progress and commented as such several times. Each one of them felt bitter somehow, like she didn’t deserve them, and it drove her further and further into self doubt.

“Hey Ghost, can you do me a favor?”

They were still connected, and she nearly squeaked in surprise at the sudden intrusion.

“Yeah?”

“I want us to keep playing. Together. I understand why you don’t want to get attached, believe me, I do, but what we have going on here is pretty good. Who knows how long your teammate will need to stay bot lane. And I hate having to stick with this purely business casual atmosphere. I’m gonna suffocate.”

“But we’ve been arguing every single game. What’s so enjoyable about that?”

He laughs, but it’s not forced. Just an easy chuckle.

“We sure do; but it’s fun. I _like_ fighting with you. You’re interesting when you get angry.”

“Hey, that’s really rude you know! I’m doing my best here.”

“And your best is pretty good.” He chuckles again, and despite herself, her cheeks grow warm. “So I want you to keep at it.”

They were only two games into this, and Takahashi was still clearly struggling. For all she knew, they would have to stay in this laning arrangement for a few weeks, if not months. It would be really stupid to try and keep her distance when working with someone closely for that long. Plus, she’d severely underestimated how quickly Takahashi would take to the basics. He was still very _very_ much a newbie.

“Alright. I think I can do that. But I’m not telling you my name. That’s gonna remain a secret.”

“Aww come on, that’s the thing I really wanted to know!”

“No way, sir. Gotta keep some mystery about myself, right?”

“ _Oh_ ? Are we back to calling me _sir_ ? I thought you were referring to me as an _animal_ now, definitely not a _sir_ \--”

“Ugh, are you always this gross! I didn’t mean it that way!”

“Sorry, can’t help it! You’re so damn fun to tease!”

“Unbelievable!” 

She nearly takes the headset out of her ear in rage but stops with her fingers on the device. He’s laughing again, and this time he actually sounds... _relieved._ Was it really that important to him for her to stay? To talk to him?

“Okay then Little Spirit. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Every time she’d called him sir by accident, he’d followed it up with a nickname of his own, and her face flamed instantly. Little Spirit. What did he even mean by that? It’s not like he knew she was a tiny 5 foot 2 compared to his over 6 feet tall. Still, it lingered in her mind just like a ghost, and that warmth in her cheeks spread dutifully to her heart.

“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow: _Sir_.”

“Hehe, that’s the spirit!”


	4. Blue Buff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter switches perspectives halfway through. I wanted to also get into Sett's headspace so enjoy that XD
> 
> Also I forgot to tag this is as modern AU but I guess it's also technically an isekai??? I'm really dumb, I'm sorry ; A ;

###  Chapter 4: Blue Buff

**A mana, cooldown restoring mob that enables the player to stay in teamfights longer.**

It’s not like Riot did this intentionally, but sometimes it sure felt like it.

There was always a back and forth when it came to winning in Summoner’s Rift. If you won too many times in a row, the algorithm knew you were too good and needed a better challenge, so it would match you in kind. However, if you lost too many times, well, that was tough shit.

And this was their third loss in a row.

“Goddamn, do they think we’re smurfs or something?”

There was a brand of League player that would do something called ‘Smurfing’, wherein they would reset their stats and pretend that they were new to the game in order to rise quickly. Riot did their best to ferret out these people, but technology was constantly changing, and this sort of thing was just too difficult to track.

“Technically you would be a smurf,”

“Shut up, I would not.”

Takahashi was legitimately level 16, but the algorithm probably thought he was a smurf. It was just as well considering how high everyone else’s level was.

Ghost hears Sett make a few notes of approval, like he was looking at something before barking out a quick laugh.

“You know you’re level 68 right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“We’re going to have to celebrate. When you level up.”

“Why in the--Hey!”

The bark quickly turns into a roaring laugh and Ghost feels her cheeks heat up. If she wasn’t so indignant about his crass humor, she would probably join in, but right now she didn’t want to give him the pleasure.

“You degenerate!”

“Yes I am!”

Even though they lost, Sett seemed to be in a good mood, which was fine by her. This whole time she thought he was going to chew her out for being so bad up against Mordekaiser. The tall hulking behemoth was insane now, his damage output more than she could handle. It didn’t matter what she had Sett build --and they’d gone magic resist early just for that reason-- the beast could just reach forward, snag him, and spank both cheeks.

Ugh. Dammit. The humor was gone.

“Goddamn Mordekaiser is such a pain in the ass. I have no idea what to do about him. His shield is so good early game and can deal so much sustained damage. He shreds through you like paper.”

“Keh, he really is a pain in the-- wait, did you just call me  _ paper _ ?” The response came quickly, sympathetically, before stopping at the weirdest offense.

“Yeah? His bullshit AOE rips through those abs of yours like paper.”

She hadn’t meant to describe it that way. Not at all. Because it’s definitely not like she’d been  _ looking _ nor  _ ogling _ Sett’s magnificent physique. But the words just popped out; and there was no taking them back.

“ _ Oh? _ ” He replies easily and it’s that same tone he uses whenever teasing her about calling him  _ sir _ . “So you’ve been looking then?”

Ever the opportunist, he jumps onto her little slip up like a cat would a cliched prey animal, but she’s not taking the bait. Because she too can be a sassy bitch sometimes. And plus, she was a damn adult; him knowing that she found him physically attractive came with the territory.

Still, it was better to give him shit rather than leverage. “How can I not? You don’t wear a top.”

Well, that’s not entirely true. From what she could see, he wore an obnoxiously long tailcoated vest, wide open, rimmed heavily with thick, purple fur. It spread around the neck like a mane, flaring up brightly when he delivered a decisive Haymaker punch. It was also clipped into place with solid gold animal heads, one on each side. But wait, if this was his  _ fur _ why did it need  _ clips _ ?

“Yeah I do; my sweet ass vest.” She can hear him straighten the material out around his shoulders, perturbed. “But it’s mostly my fur.”

“Oh come on, that is  _ not _ your fur. Now I know you’re just messing with me.”

“Afraid not sis, this is indeed my beautiful mane.”

“But it’s  _ purple _ and you have  _ red hair _ .”

“Want to test that theory?”

Oh boy, here we go again. He never fails to flirt, no matter the opportunity, and if he wasn’t so damn good in top lane she’d kick his ass herself. It’s all done in good fun, but she felt like being stubborn every time he brought it up.

“I’m good, thanks.”

She did actually want to know though. Whether or not it was his real fur, not the uh, other thing.

He laughed again, the sound more and more familiar, and she found herself smiling despite her decidedly forced mood.

“What about you then? You got any fur that may or may not match?”

“Ah ah ah, look at you fishing for more information. Didn’t we already have this discussion?”

“Yeah but you’re being so tight lipped about everything. I can’t even know what you look like?”

“Doesn’t that defeat the point of not getting attached?”

“Are you so sure I’ll fall madly in love with you just because I know your damn hair color? Throw me a bone here.”

Ghost nearly sneers at the implication, but realizes he’s right. She’d already established the fact that she didn’t want to remain permanently, and he’d agreed to her terms, so they had that respect going. Plus, this way he would stop bothering her about it if she just gave him a little.

She sighs, defeated. “Alright. My hair is white. And yes, it matches.”

“White huh? How long is it?”

“Mmm,” She looks down, fingering the long braid draped over her shoulder. It goes all the way to her waist, the color shining and pristine. Like an icicle almost, thinner as it went downwards with just a hint of blue shading. The rest of her hair was cut shorter around her face, sharp angles down her smooth cheeks and her bangs were a slanted, straight edge above her eyes. It was a silly haircut, one she’d had most her life, but it gave her pale face personality, and the longer the braid, the more she felt like an ice princess.

“It goes down to my waist. I like to keep it in a braid usually since it’s so long.”

“No ears then?”

“No ears, sorry. Only you get to be a cool half cat,”

“Heh, you’re damn right.”

They both go quiet, ruminating, and Ghost finds it much more appealing than she used to. The idea of becoming friends with Sett was sounding more and more enjoyable as the days went on. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him per say, he was actually rather fun to hang out with, but she knew her time was limited. Plus, knowing him as she did right now, he’d probably move on pretty quickly when she went back to her lane.

The thought made her bitter.

“Oh, and to answer your somewhat harmless retort, I would much rather you  _ not _ fall in love with me.”

He scoffs, a laugh smothered in surprise. “What? Where did that come from? And why the hell would it be a problem?”

“I told you, it was in response to that silly remark you had about my hair!” She returns waspishly. “And trust me, I don’t know if it would work out.”

“Keh, you don’t even know that. Why put up the barrier now?”

He sounds genuinely curious, if a bit put off by her abrasiveness, and she squirms in her seat. 

Arthur was the one in her team who tended to have more  _ intimate _ relationships with his champions. They were always consensual of course, but she’d seen how strained things became whenever he would give in to a night of passion with Evelynn. The woman was mean, jealous, and just a bit on the yandere side. She tended to wear him out both physically and emotionally, and he would straight up ignore her for days afterwards. He always came back though, and that in turn would spiral into a hot mess every time.

She couldn’t exactly fault him for it, but it was hard to watch. Especially when Eve would try and mess with his relationships with the other women of the jungle.

Poppy didn’t care about any of that thankfully and Eve didn’t dare try and come between her and Arthur.

“Let’s just say that I’ve seen what casual sex does to a Summoner/Champ relationship and I’m not into that.”

He thinks on that for a moment, the silence more unnerving than before. Would he ask for more details? Or did he get the hint?

“One of your guys is a freak isn’t he? Whose his favorite?”

This time she coughed, her inhale of breath going down the wrong pipe. “ _ Sett _ , come  _ on _ !”

“What? I’m just curious. Just because he has a weird thing going with one of his champs doesn’t mean we would.”

She’s still sputtering when he starts laughing and suddenly she’s feeling less generous towards the Vastayan.

“But alright, I give. I’ll leave you alone about it.” He sighs dramatically. “No fallin’ in love.”

“That’s right! No falling in love!”

And that was the last time they were going to talk about  _ that _ .

\-----------

One game a day was usually enough for everyone, Summoner and Champion alike. The champs still relegated to rotation would need to switch out anyway, so if they wanted consistent practice they had to request as such beforehand. Their usual time was half an hour to forty five minutes, which was a good mediation when compared to some of the more competitive scenes, and the night before they’d requested the same Champions for three games; everyone agreed that now would be a good time to really knuckle in.

“Damn, you’re really putting me through the ringer here aren’t you?”

Naturally Sett had something snide to comment about to which Ghost responded in kind.

“Can’t handle a little  _ rough handling _ ?”

“Hmmm, well, when you put it  _ that _ way.”

“Gross. You know what I mean.”

“Nope, I don’t. You’re gonna have to explain it to me.”

This was pretty typical for them at this point, this little tit-for-tat, and she couldn’t help smiling despite his obvious flirtation.

“Too bad. Figure it out.”

“Aww, you’re no fun.”

“Sorry mate, this is the no fun zone.”

He’s quiet, but she can still hear his low rumbly laughter through the headset, and it’s almost like he’s right there with her. The laughter is infectious, and she can’t help the soft giggle.

The last game they’d been ganked constantly and it took all Ghost had not to fly off in a rage. Sett usually would have made a snarky response, but he was just as pissed, and they both paced their respective penalty boxes in anger. That was yesterday, and she was ready to seriously throw down today. To start, they’d all agreed to play at least three games in a row and would stick with the same champions to help their cohesion. This would hopefully help Takahashi get more consistent practice. Thankfully their chosen champions were able to free up their schedule to accommodate for their plan.

“Okay okay, so I have an idea that will help us win this time.”

“Yeah alright, shoot.”

“So, they usually take dragon and then gank bot right? It fucks us over every time.”

“Yeah and they never get that ward down in time. Your new guy is still too green to remember to do that. Taric should be reminding him but who knows.”

“Exactly. So what if, we get a kill early game, like  _ really _ go in guns blazing, and then TP down to take dragon early? Then we could gank bot with Arthur and really roll them.”

“Huh, that’s a pretty good idea actually.” She can practically hear him smirk through the phone. “Do you really think you can have me go all in like that?”

“You don’t believe I can?”

“Oh I’m sure you could if you  _ tried _ . But you’re just so scared of my mad aggressive fury.”

“I am not!” She replies, voice cracking. Was this another damn sex joke? “I just don’t like getting you killed for something stupid!”

“Is that concern I hear? Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Maybe a little pissed, but I always get back up.”

Ugh. This damn man. It’s like he was an amalgamation of fists and one liners.

“I can see that.”

They started laning phase just like normal, farming and poking with smooth aggression. Ghost hadn’t realized just how normal this was becoming until she found herself moving him automatically and him going towards her commands with practiced ease. They’d only played a handful of games together now, but it was starting to feel second nature. Like they were connected somehow. Well, technically they were, but this was something else; like an  _ instinct _ . She wanted to make a comment about it, marvel at their cohesion, but didn’t want the rebuttal she knew he had prepared. It’s not that she didn’t like his silly comments, but...well, she didn’t want to break his heart.

The more he got attached, the harder it was going to be when they parted ways.

Everything was going smoothly for most of the game until Shen ulted bot lane. She’d called it out to Deraj, but it was too late, and they secured a double kill. It was all downhill from there. They didn’t even get a chance to try their strategy, and Ghost blamed herself for that one. She’d stared at the map long enough, waffling nervously on whether or not she should go in or not, and in the end she hadn’t made the decision. And the enemy took dragon.

“What was that about your plan again? We had a perfect opportunity! Why didn’t you take it?”

“I-I didn’t know if it was the right time! It’s hard to tell if my teammates were going in or not--”

“You gotta ping them next time! Nothing gets done with indecision: you gotta just get in there and punch some shit!”

She pursed her lips, biting the retort back as best as she could because goddammit, he was right, and here she was fucking this up  _ again _ . Eventually he was going to tire of her uncertainty, it was just a matter of when. He seemed like he was having a good time with her, but that wasn’t helpful if they couldn’t start winning some damn games.

And it didn’t stop there.

It’s like she was fumbling every damn command. Shield facing the wrong way. Missed grab. Ulted into the tower. She was crumbling fast.

Sett was more than a little pissed, but she couldn’t tell if it was at her or the unfairness of Riot’s system. Either way, she took each of his wall punches in the penalty box to the chin. Instead of directly commanding him through voice, she did so through tablet commands only, doing everything in her power to keep her lips closed, eyes wide open, tears held at bay.

It was just a game right? She shouldn’t be getting this upset at losing. But...it was so  _ tiring _ . Every time she thought she was getting better, something tripped her up. No one else in her team was taking the losses as hard as she was, and even though they were consistently losing bot, they still had each other to encourage.

It was just her and Sett.

When the game was finally over, she disconnected without a word and exited her cubicle. The walls came down at her command and she marched quickly into the bathroom.

It was a plush space, small and neat with red and gold walls, large mirror and traditional hand towels, like a hotel room instead of a public restroom.

She turned the faucet on and splashed water on her face. It was warm enough to mix with her tears so she couldn’t feel them fall, and she scrubbed furiously at her eyes.

This was so damn  _ stupid _ . She shouldn’t be getting this upset at a  _ game _ .

But everyone else took so quickly to their lanes. She’d been so good at support that coming up here was like being a fish out of water. She’d practiced too, on her own time, and it didn’t seem to be making a difference. Just what was her damn problem?

She took the hand towel and wiped her wet face down, the soft texture nice and comforting. It took a bit of scrubbing to dry her bangs, and she smoothed them down back onto her forehead, grimacing at their new disarray.

What an embarrassing display.

She sighed. Stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her blue eyed visage stared back, this time with red, puffy eyelids. Bright white eyelashes stuck together with moisture, and she blinked a few times, wiping her eyes again.

Get your shit together, she demanded. This wasn’t the end of the world. No matter how angry Sett was getting, he still wanted her to come back. He’d said as much after every day they signed off. He said it was because he liked fighting with her, but she could tell that he genuinely wanted her around; he liked watching her grow. And that’s what sucked the most.

She was letting him down.

In a few moments she’d calmed down enough to exit the bathroom, head down so she wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. Hearing no sounds of distress, the woman looked up and saw that none of her teammates had their walls down. 

Good; that meant they hadn’t taken concern over her taking a quick break.

She moved quickly back into her seat, replacing her headset and raising her walls upwards once more.

The second they reconnected, Sett’s angry growl ripped into her ear.

“Are you  _ done _ ? What the hell  _ Ghost _ ? You can’t just ditch me right after a game like that--”

“I had to take a second to calm down, alright? I’m sorry for leaving like that.”

“You’re damn right you’re sorry! You can’t just run away whenever shit gets tough you know!”

“I-I wasn’t running away! I was just taking a second to collect myself!”

He couldn’t argue with that, and it’s not like he wanted to. She came back, and she obviously needed that time to deal with her frustration, but apparently he hadn’t done the same.

They stayed that way, tense silence, and Ghost felt herself squirming in her seat. Why was this always what happened? If he was so angry at her all the time, why did he keep wanting her to come back? What was it about her that he liked so much? Cos it sure as hell wasn’t how she played in game--

“Fuck...I’m sorry.”

“W-What?”

The ice was cut, cleanly, and it was done with a voice suddenly so soft she strained to hear it.

“I shouldn’t be yelling at you like this. It’s not your fault.” He sighed heavily, a weariness taking his tone so harshly she almost didn’t recognize it. “You’re doing the best you can.”

Was he...apologizing? For real? No catch or weird jokes?

She’s still stunned, mouth parted with an effort to speak and yet no words come out. He’s completely floored her.

“Are you okay? After you left, were you able to calm down?” He finishes, and this time his voice is more clear, earnest. Like he was searching for an answer.

“Y-Yeah, I’m okay now. I just...needed a minute to catch my breath.”

Was this happening? Sure they’d argued plenty in the past, but he was so quick to rebuttal that they’d go at it forever. But this time he’d sounded so pissed, honestly and truly, that she had to escape for a minute. Turns out he didn’t want to rip into her like that.

“It wasn’t your fault, honestly. I can tell how much better you’re doing. It’s a great improvement.”

Every new sentence he doles out is another bandage to her psyche, and she feels the flattery as it stings her cheeks.

“Oh come on Sett, you don’t have to simp for me like this. I’m alright,” She says wearily. It’s hard to stop the shaking in her voice, but the warmth is spreading through her like fire. 

He really did sound sorry.

“Keh, I ain’t simpin’!” He retorts angrily, but there’s no bite in it, just embarrassment. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Oh, that’s such a sweet thing to say. Really out of the ordinary for him.

“Okay, what the hell is going on? Who replaced my champion with this apologetic, friendly person?” She smiles wryly.

Ghost can practically hear the scuffle as he stands rigid, and the indignant words most definitely punctuated by an embarrassed flush to his face.

“No one replaced me dammit, I  _ am _ friendly! And I can also apologize! I’m a big enough man to admit when I’m wrong!” He growls in frustration. “Though I’m regretting it now.”

She can’t help it; the laugh ripples through her chest. It’s a relieved sound, soft and pure, puffing through her lungs like the wind in a sailboat, all sunshine and clear skies. Tinkling giggles, shoulders shaking and eyes closed in mirth; she’s  _ happy _ . Grateful even.

He’s not responding to her joviality, but somehow she can just  _ hear _ what he’s feeling. And it’s relief. It practically bellows through their connection like a wave, bowling over both of them alike, and they take a moment to bask in her wonton giggles like the happiness of a child.

“It’s good to hear you laugh; much better than hearing you cry.”

His voice is rough, low, but so sincere she’s sobered up immediately. She’d never heard him sound this  _ soft _ before. He was normally so damn gruff and grizzled, that animalistic nature beating against the side of her psyche like a dog yapping excitedly at her heels, wanting to fight. Or a cat batting eagerly at any glass dish to prompt a quick reaction. Never to console. Never to feel  _ sympathy _ for.

“H-Hey, what did we say before this?”

“Uh, you’re going to have to remind me. We’ve talked a lot.”

“N-No falling in love, idiot!”

It was just yesterday she’d warned him about this, but hearing him sound this affectionate was raising some dangerous flags. He couldn’t start  _ caring _ about her now!

“As if! I’m just glad you ain’t cryin’ anymore, is that a crime? Can’t I be worried about my summoner without it being weird? Plus,” He pauses. “I don’t like making women cry.”

Could he really think it was that simple?

“Well alright, if you say so. I’m warning you though!”

“Oh  _ yeah _ ? What are you going to do about it? Can’t handle a little  _ affection _ ?”

“Not from you! You’re a giant walking set of fists and one liners!”

“Now you’re just bein’ rude.”

She laughed again, this time more raucously. Crisis averted. Bullet dodged. There’s no way this would end well if he started catching feels. Or her for that matter. It was best that they stayed away from that nonsense.

Or at least, that’s what she had to tell herself.

\-----------------------

Goddamn, this was turning out to be a trip.

Ever since his last long term summoner quit, Sett couldn’t help feeling restless. Bothered. He’d tried rotational games, but there was something off putting about dealing with so many new people all the time; they’d request him for games but never stick around. He still wanted to remain top lane, but he was tired of the impersonal connections he made. It was time to remain exclusive.

There was just something so damn boring about playing League just to win.

But then she came along. This timid, waiflike woman, more scared of him than her own shadow, and he’d rolled his eyes every time she apologized to him in the field. What was the use of coming top lane if it was so damn terrifying?

But then she’d started opening up, easing into their conversations, and he found he was  _ enjoying _ himself. Especially this ridiculous bit she was committed to; there was no way she could keep her identity a secret forever. Hell, if he wanted to, all he had to do was go up to the Riot Help Desk after work and look her up. But he didn’t, because she asked him not to.

And because he liked this game.

Still, when he found out she didn’t want to get attached, he was left slightly miffed. And maybe actually a little bit bitter this time. Even though he was still technically exclusive and would only play games with her, she was still leaving his lane anyway. When that was he didn’t know, and apparently neither did she, but it was still off putting all the same. Why did it matter that she would eventually return to bot lane? That didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends. Hell, he just wanted to have a good time while she was here. It didn’t even matter if she stayed or if they kept in contact. What mattered was the here and the now.

Ghost really liked to worry about shit that hadn’t even happened yet.

But she was also way too hard on herself. He knew that every game she put her all into it, did her damn best to help them win, but it was a difficult lane for her. Probably the most so. So when they would lose, she would take it pretty hard.

Like today.

He tried not to yell at her, but he was so damn pissed. It’s like there was something holding her back, something she wouldn’t commit to, and it was making him crazy. He tried not to think about it, but sometimes that angry bitter feeling would tell him that she didn’t care about doing well top because eventually she would go back bot lane anyway. Like he was a jealous lover or something. Many times he’d retract from the thought --it was so damn stupid-- but no matter how hard he tried, it would still linger like a sickness.

Especially since they hadn’t won any games yet.

But, she was persistent. Every game she would do a little better. Try a little harder. Build that confidence in herself. It was almost like the reason why she was a support main was because she’d been pushed into it. Most other lanes required a certain killer instinct that she just didn’t have, or just wasn’t able to develop. Another reason why it was so difficult for her to be the only female in their group.

But...well, he may have been wrong about all that because finally, at the third and last game of the day, they’d won. And she’d gone positive.

“Oh my God, we won! I can’t believe it!” She crows and he can imagine her excitedly fist pumping the air.

“Yeah, I can’t believe it! It’s about damn time. Feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Ohhhh, you have no idea!” She replies, exasperated. He laughs in response.

“I think I do actually. I’ve been with you this whole time, Little Spirit.”

He can’t help the nickname as it rolls off his tongue and he knows just how she’ll react. It’s like he does it to ease the mood, pull her back into friendly territory when things got too heavy.

“That’s true. And hey, we actually went positive! 6/5/11 KDA!”

He’s still listening as he enters the holding room for Champions, the others following suit. After the enemy base exploded, the victory screen would appear for the summoners, and they would get to walk off the map, the door to the team’s room appearing through the foliage.

It was a modest area, big enough for all of them to lounge on the many couches and recliners before the match, and Sett walks exhaustively by, swiping his tablet off the table, and moving to one of the private rooms. She always liked to talk to him after the game, and he didn’t like people overhearing their conversations.

Usually a Champion and Summoner would meet in the lobby afterwards, shake hands and either go hang out or depart for the day. They were all adults with their own lives, but if you were a successful League player, you tended to want to enforce that camaraderie with relationship building. This was Ghost’s way.

For now.

He could understand her not wanting to meet up with him, but that just made him more curious. And now that he knew she had long white hair, it just made him more eager to know what she looked like.

He entered the small practice room and settled into the chair, sighing dramatically. It was small enough to be a phone booth, but at least it would give him some privacy.

“Hell yeah. Six kills is nothing to sneeze at either.”

“Yes! I swear I had no idea how it would go that last team fight; I just teleported in and ulted. Don’t for a second think I did any of that on purpose!”

“Keh, I’ll say. It was like you were on some kind of crazy instinct. Or you’ve finally understood my skillset enough that it’s become muscle memory.”

“Right? I waited until you had all that grit and then turned around and and snagged that  _ double kill _ and--”

“Mmmhmm, I was there, remember?”

Her excitement is cute, and it brings a smile to his face. Not a big one, not a grin or a smirk, but a soft upturn of the corners. It’s enough to ease the crinkle around his eyes, and he stares affectionately at the tablet, watching the dial go around her username.

“Well yeah I know that, but still. It was really amazing.” He hears her heave a sigh, a full diaphragmed one, full of relief. “I’m glad we could be helpful to our team.”

“We might be even more helpful soon. With how much you’re improving, you might even get  _ 7 _ kills one day.”

She snorts and his smile widens.

“Oh ho, you think so? Hey, now that I think about it, since you got 11 assists this game, that makes you more  _ Support Sett _ than  _ Top Lane Sett _ .” She says cheekily.

There we go, he thinks to himself fondly. That was the fire he liked. It was the whole reason he’d asked her to come back. She could be one sassy bitch, and he really liked that about her.

“Well you  _ were _ a support main so it only makes sense.”

“Was? I still  _ am _ thank you very much. Don’t think you and your pretty face are going to keep me here in top lane.”

“So you  _ do _ think I’m pretty. Hmmm, that’s good to know, Little Spirit.”

“ _ Th-That’s besides the point _ .” He barks a laugh, imagining her full faced flush at that. She really lets those ones slip out doesn’t she? “And you know what I mean anyway.”

“Sure sure, I do,” He reclines now, dropping the tablet in his lap as he slings both heavy arms comfortably over the armrests. “But it’s still nice to know what you  _ really _ think about me.”

“What I really think about you is--is--”

“Smug? Cool?  _ Pretty _ ?”

“No--! I think you’re  _ stupid _ .”

“Good one, Little Spirit. Maybe we can work on your insults alongside your top laning skills.  _ Someone _ needs to whip you into shape.”

What was the expression called? Tsun? Whatever the hell that meant. He’d heard it before, those prickly girls with a soft side for the person they liked. She was probably one of those; he could tell she liked him. More or less because they got along, but it could also be the insane skill cap she put on herself. As if people expected so much from him that she couldn’t measure up. So when she  _ did _ improve, it was in stark relief to her own tenacity.

And she thought he was pretty. That was a plus.

“I don’t need to be whipped into shape, thank you very much. I’m just fine,”

“In certain areas yeah, but you lack that one  _ killer instinct _ that makes a great top lane. You  _ Support Main _ ,”

Hopefully she wasn’t sore about that; poking fun at things we were vulnerable made us stronger. At least, when you did so with someone you trusted. He sincerely hoped she didn’t think he was being an asshole.

“W-What?” Oh, here we go. “I do too have  _ killer instinct _ you asshat! How else would I know to ult into their team like that?”

“Maybe every once in a while, but it’s not the first thing on your mind. You’re always trying to  _ help people _ rather than secure those kills.”

He means it literally too: she really doesn’t have those instincts. But that was okay, she just wasn’t used to it. And the more she stayed up top with him, the more it would develop. Though it sounded like criticism, he was just trying to tease her; hopefully she understood that. And this would help her bot lane as well. Supports didn’t need to just exist casually by, waiting for their ADC to engage. Sona could be a mean AP carry, and he’d been on the wrong side of a Lux laser plenty of times.

Speaking of which, he’d never seen her play bot lane. Maybe she  _ was _ that good. Perhaps he would look at some of her old games later.

“Ugh, I too have a killer streak! And I can prove it!”

“Oh yeah? Gonna  _ fight me _ , Little Spirit? You probably don’t even reach my waist.”

“As if! I’m tiny as hell! I’m only 5 foot 2--” Suddenly she realized what she said and Sett gave a silent crow in victory. “Dammit!! You did that on purpose!!”

“And ya fell for it again, just like always.”

This was a new part of their game, the one where he would subtly trick her into revealing parts of herself. He now knew she had white hair, bangs, and was apparently crazy short. Her head would barely reach chest level.

It was cute.  _ Really _ cute.

He’d been painting a mental picture of her in his head for a while now, but his imagination was shit. He knew enough at this point to get a vague idea, but her face was always formless; it was all expressions with no features. Did she get really red when angry? How big did her eyes get when she secured a kill? What was it that made her smile, and what did it look like? Would it bowl him over if he ever saw it, or would he simply keep her at arms length as typical work comrades?

Because of course he was curious if they would be compatible. It  _ was _ pretty normal for champions and summoners to share that kind of relationship. Riot didn’t explicitly forbid it or anything, but there were rules about it. As long as everything was consensual and it didn’t affect the game, then everything was cool. But if they fought too much on the field, the champ defected, or something terrible happened outside the ring, then they would put a stop to it. There had been some issues in the past between champs and their summoners, but they were swiftly dealt with, and he could hardly remember what they were anymore.

Except the one between Vi and her summoner. What a goddamn mess that was.

“I’m serious! I can be killer on the field too!”

She’s yelling now, but not angrily; more like embarrassed. It almost seemed like she was pushing herself into dangerous territory, picking a fight with a big cat when she was practically a kitten, but he chuckled darkly.

If she wanted to tackle him, she better come at him with all she had.

“And what’s that? How are you going to prove it?”

“Give me two weeks-- _ two weeks of practice-- _ and I’ll get you a pentakill!”

Now  _ that _ was rich. He laughed again, this time as forced as he could, the mirth shaking him down to the core. 

“No fucking way sis, you’ll need way more practice than that. Or play someone with braindead skills like Yi. My fists are not so easily mastered.”

“I’m serious! Two.  _ Weeks _ . I’ll even make you a bet!”

Even more rich. She wanted to place a  _ bet _ now? Probably not with money; it wasn’t something they’d even discussed in the past though he knew that both of them were well off, him especially. She probably wanted something more personal in exchange.

“Bet me what? What could I possibly give you that would warrant a bet?”

She goes silent at that. Naturally she hadn’t planned for this; Ghost did like to fly into a rage without thinking afterall. It made him smile again, though this time wryly, for her hardheadedness. She was such a stubborn, prickly woman that he--

“If I win, for one whole game, you have to wear a coat. And zip it alllll the way up.”

Oh shit, now it was his turn to be stunned. He sat up quickly, snatching the tablet off his lap so it didn’t clatter onto the floor. “No way. That will just make me play  _ worse _ . Why would you have me do that?”

“To fuck with you,  _ obviously _ . You hate sleeves.”

Goddammit; he can just imagine how evilly she’s grinning right now. What a little shit! And to think he felt sorry for her! Or thought she was cute!

He’s about to sputter out a reply when suddenly he’s hit with inspiration. This bet would mean an exchange. And she would have to be willing to give something in return if she  _ lost _ .

An evil  _ evil _ grin spreads his face, widening the scar across his nose and crinkling his eyes to slits.

“Alright then, Little Spirit. If you win, I’ll wear a coat. The gaudiest damn thing I can find. But if  _ I _ win--” He pauses for dramatic affect. “You have to meet me in person.”

“No way; that’s against the rules!”

“All's fair in love and war sis, and you picked a fight with the wrong dude.”

“I’m not doing it.”

“Then you have to admit you don’t have that  _ killer instinct _ .”

Now  _ that _ she can’t ignore and he knows it. He’s counting on it. She’s too prideful to let that go, and if she was really that confident about getting him a penta, she would have to agree.

So with a great sigh, she relents. “Fine. One meeting. 5 minutes.”

“An hour. We’ll get dinner.” He shoots back.

“No way, that’s like a date! And you  _ remember what we said _ !” Her voice raises in pitch, damn near hysterical. He chuckles at her response, the smile playing on his lips softening just a bit. He really liked teasing her. Much more than making her sad.

“You get dinner with your friends all the time. I ain’t falling in love with you over food; just give me an hour, alright?”

“Ughhhgh.” She’s sighing, probably combing her hands through that white hair of hers and narrowing --green? Blue? Grey?-- her eyes in frustration. But he knows she’ll give in. She  _ has  _ to.

“Fine. One hour. But you won’t win.”

Sett sits forward, elbows on his knees and stares straight into the tablet like he’s boring into her eyes and smirks.

“We’ll see about that, Little Spirit.”


End file.
